WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Winston-Salem police said a 19-year-old killed in a shooting Thursday night is the same person who fired a gun inside a Forsyth Tech bathroom in March 2023.
Officers found Shannon Howard James Pitts with multiple gunshot wounds on Goldfloss Street around 8 p.m. He died at the scene. An 18-year-old was also found shot, but is expected to be okay.
Neighbors along Goldfloss Street tell WFMY News 2 the area is usually quiet and this comes as a shock. Due to the violent nature of the crime, no one felt comfortable speaking on camera.
One woman told WFMY News 2 she just moved to the neighborhood and came home to see police tape blocking off her driveway.
Pitts was a former Winston-Salem Prep Academy student. Prosecutors said he brought an untraceable firearm called a ghost gun with him on a school field trip to Forsyth Tech Community College last year.
The gun went off in the bathroom, injuring Pitts' hand, and forced the college into an hours-long lockdown. Pitts was charged with bringing a gun to school and carrying a concealed gun.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools said the 18-year-old shot on Thursday is neither a current student nor a graduate of the school system.
WFMY News 2 asked WSPD Chief William Penn Jr. his thoughts on recent gun violence in his city.
“We call it public safety for a reason, we all have a role in the safety of our community,” he said.
“Most studies will show you that folks who engage in that type of activity are subject to being the victim of those very crimes,” said Penn.
Police haven't said a motive for Thursday's shooting nor have they identified a suspect.
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