ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A gang member is accused of shooting up an apartment complex in Rowan County while he was on bond for a murder charge, investigators said.
Around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, deputies were called to the Woodland Creek Apartment Complex off of Statesville Boulevard, just outside of Salisbury. When they arrived, deputies found bullet holes in at least four cars and three apartments.
Investigators discovered a man had been shot. He was taken to the hospital but was expected to recover from his injuries, the sheriff’s office said.
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Deputies arrested 27-year-old Michael Daryle Withers after finding an AK-47 hidden in the woods.
Withers was charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. He was given a $10,000 bond, but deputies said he posted it before he had been fully booked into the Rowan County jail.
The man who was shot will also be charged in the case. Investigators took out arrest warrants against 25-year-old Shikese Zontae Mcentyre, charging him with assault with a deadly weapon, shooting into two occupied dwellings, and damage to property (for shooting into two parked cars).
Mcentyre wasn’t arrested the night of the shooting because he was in the hospital.
At the time of the shooting, Withers was out on bond for a deadly shooting. According to authorities, in that case, Withers is accused of shooting another man during an argument at a Huntersville park back in August 2021.
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The victim in that case, 27-year-old Haiishen Ali Mcintyre, was a former basketball player at High Point University. Police said he was shot after an argument on the basketball court.
Detectives are still going through evidence and are expected to bring more charges and arrests in the Rowan County case.
“The senseless shooting placed many innocent lives at risk and we want anyone with helpful information to come forward and help us keep people like this out of our community,” deputies said in a news release.
Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Anthony Palacios at 704-216-8685 or Sgt. Jeremy Thomason 704-216-8683.
‘Extremely lucky’
On Wednesday, Sheriff Travis Allen said the apartment shootout could have ended a lot worse.
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“We are extremely lucky that nobody else in these apartments were hurt,” he said.
Allen described what happened as a gang shootout.
″When our units arrived, there were numerous apartments that had been shot through dozens and dozens of rounds, numerous vehicles they’ve been hitting,” the sheriff said. “So it was a pretty a pretty intense scene there.”
One woman told Channel 9′s Hannah Goetz that she heard the shots.
“It was like ‘bang, bang, bang’ -- like that for a while,” she said.
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She said she would never expect that at this complex.
Allen said investigators believe Mcentyre and Withers were shooting at each other.
“This is a drug business and gang business being brought to a friendly neighborhood,” Allen said.
Sheriff Allen said Withers is what law enforcement calls a “validated” gang member, so he will likely face more charges.
“So what happens within, a person that has been validated once they’re arrested and charged and sentenced, this allows the courts and the district attorneys to seek stronger penalties because of this validation,” Allen said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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