Topline: Two teenage boys were killed and five other people were wounded after police said a planned fight at a Winston-Salem park escalated into gunfire.
Published: April 22, 2026 8:00 am ET
Randy Shaw
I cut my teeth in journalism when I began looking into what I saw as abuses of power in my local government. From then on, I was hooked on the dopamine rush of uncovering information.
Must Read
AI generated image.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Two teenage boys, ages 16 and 17, were killed and five other people were injured after a planned fight near Leinbach Park escalated into a shooting shortly before 10 a.m. Monday, according to authorities.
According to a KHOU report, police said two juveniles had agreed to meet at the park for a fight, but someone opened fire into the crowd that gathered there.
Authorities said three girls, ages 14, 15, and 17, along with a 19-year-old woman and an 18-year-old man, were also hurt. Their injuries ranged from minor to critical.
Police described the aftermath as chaotic and said investigators spent hours trying to determine who had been involved, who had been wounded, and who had witnessed the shooting.
The violence unfolded near Jefferson Middle School, which was placed on lockdown until officers secured the area, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Officials later said nearby schools were safe.
Winston-Salem Police Chief William Penn said no one was in custody Monday, and investigators believed some of the injured people might also have been involved in the shooting. Penn said authorities did not yet know what the fight was about, and he could not immediately say whether the two teens who died were the individuals who had planned to fight.
The shooting happened in a suburban residential area northwest of downtown Winston-Salem. Residents and educators said the attack revived painful memories of prior gun violence in the community, including the 2021 shooting at Mt. Tabor High School.
At a briefing Monday afternoon, Penn urged adults to keep talking with young people about avoiding fights. Investigators said the case remained active and ongoing and asked anyone with information to contact Winston-Salem police or Crime Stoppers.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
2 Teens Killed, 5 Others Injured After Planned Fight Escalates Into Shooting
Two teenage boys were killed and five other people were wounded after police said a planned fight at a Winston-Salem park escalated into gunfire.
By Randy Shaw
Published: April 22, 2026 8:00 am ET
AI generated image.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Two teenage boys, ages 16 and 17, were killed and five other people were injured after a planned fight near Leinbach Park escalated into a shooting shortly before 10 a.m. Monday, according to authorities.
According to a KHOU report, police said two juveniles had agreed to meet at the park for a fight, but someone opened fire into the crowd that gathered there.
Authorities said three girls, ages 14, 15, and 17, along with a 19-year-old woman and an 18-year-old man, were also hurt. Their injuries ranged from minor to critical.
Police described the aftermath as chaotic and said investigators spent hours trying to determine who had been involved, who had been wounded, and who had witnessed the shooting.
The violence unfolded near Jefferson Middle School, which was placed on lockdown until officers secured the area, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Officials later said nearby schools were safe.
Winston-Salem Police Chief William Penn said no one was in custody Monday, and investigators believed some of the injured people might also have been involved in the shooting. Penn said authorities did not yet know what the fight was about, and he could not immediately say whether the two teens who died were the individuals who had planned to fight.
The shooting happened in a suburban residential area northwest of downtown Winston-Salem. Residents and educators said the attack revived painful memories of prior gun violence in the community, including the 2021 shooting at Mt. Tabor High School.
At a briefing Monday afternoon, Penn urged adults to keep talking with young people about avoiding fights. Investigators said the case remained active and ongoing and asked anyone with information to contact Winston-Salem police or Crime Stoppers.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
2 Teens Killed, 5 Others Injured After Planned Fight Escalates Into Shooting
Two teenage boys were killed and five other people were wounded after police said a planned fight at a Winston-Salem park escalated into gunfire.
By Randy Shaw
Published: April 22, 2026 8:00 am ET
AI generated image.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Two teenage boys, ages 16 and 17, were killed and five other people were injured after a planned fight near Leinbach Park escalated into a shooting shortly before 10 a.m. Monday, according to authorities.
According to a KHOU report, police said two juveniles had agreed to meet at the park for a fight, but someone opened fire into the crowd that gathered there.
Authorities said three girls, ages 14, 15, and 17, along with a 19-year-old woman and an 18-year-old man, were also hurt. Their injuries ranged from minor to critical.
Police described the aftermath as chaotic and said investigators spent hours trying to determine who had been involved, who had been wounded, and who had witnessed the shooting.
The violence unfolded near Jefferson Middle School, which was placed on lockdown until officers secured the area, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Officials later said nearby schools were safe.
Winston-Salem Police Chief William Penn said no one was in custody Monday, and investigators believed some of the injured people might also have been involved in the shooting. Penn said authorities did not yet know what the fight was about, and he could not immediately say whether the two teens who died were the individuals who had planned to fight.
The shooting happened in a suburban residential area northwest of downtown Winston-Salem. Residents and educators said the attack revived painful memories of prior gun violence in the community, including the 2021 shooting at Mt. Tabor High School.
At a briefing Monday afternoon, Penn urged adults to keep talking with young people about avoiding fights. Investigators said the case remained active and ongoing and asked anyone with information to contact Winston-Salem police or Crime Stoppers.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
