Neighbors, former coworker reacts to death of Lenoir man killed in Catawba County mass shooting
LENOIR, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – We are learning more about the man who died in the Catawba County mass shooting from neighbors and a past coworker.
Shawn Hood was killed when someone opened fire at a house party in Catawba County, while 11 other people were injured.
On Hood's driveway Monday, we found a project he was finishing up. Several neighbors we spoke with said he kept to himself. One neighbor we spoke with did not wish to be identified.
MORE |
'He tried to do some work there by himself and he just had some other friends from the outside come over and say hi or hang out with him,' the neighbor said. 'That was about it.'
The neighbor said at one point Hood lived in a home on Idlewood St. in Lenoir with his wife and son, but the couple later divorced.
Other neighbors we spoke with didn't even know that Hood died this weekend. No neighbor seemed to know why he was at that party.
MORE |
'I can't believe it,' the neighbor said. 'What was the 58-year-old doing with a bunch of teenagers? I don't know.'
A former coworker we spoke with said during COVID they worked from home, reviewing loans for the Small Business Administration. When their contracts ended last year, she said they did loan reviews for small businesses following Hurricane Helene through a nonprofit. She adds that Hood played baseball and gave lessons in the community – and that he was a nice guy who did not deserve to be murdered.
'It has nothing to do with gun violence,' the neighbor said. 'It had to do with a vengeance attitude. Stupid kid with guns. The guns didn't kill the people, the people killed the people.'
Authorities are offering a $15,000 reward for information that leads to any arrests.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Forbes
15 minutes ago
- Forbes
Uncertainty Equals Confusion
If you approach an intersection and you don't know which way to turn to reach your destination, you are 'frozen' in place until an external event compels you to decide: left, right, straight, or reverse? That's how many small business owners feel today. NFIB's Uncertainty Index is based on six questions asked of a random sample of member firms for over 50 years. Since 1986, the Uncertainty Index has averaged 68. But, since 2016 it has averaged 80 and over the last eight months, the Index has reached 51 year-high levels, the highest level hitting 110 in October 2024. For individual owners, the Uncertainty measure is the number of 'uncertain' responses each owner gives to the six questions incorporated by the Index. For all firms, the Index is the sum of the percentages giving an uncertain response to each of the six questions. Interestingly, it appears that the level of uncertainty has increased steadily over the past 50 years. Why that has occurred is unclear, possibly related to the expanding reach of government at all levels. Uncertainty in the current period is undoubtedly related to the significant changes in domestic and international policies impacting the economy. And, trying to pass a tax bill that satisfies 535 elected officials in Congress is always an uncertain process. There is a lot to worry about. The level of uncertainty varies significantly by industry. Small business owners in the transportation industry most frequently registered high levels of uncertainty (4+). Some of this uncertainty is caused by high levels of regulation (e.g., California), tariffs, port uncertainty, and high fuel costs, to name a few. Firms in the manufacturing and services industries also expressed higher levels of uncertainty. Retail firms were least frequently found giving 3 or more uncertain responses, even with tariff uncertainty. They were more 'certain' about how they are or will be impacted. Uncertainty Level by Industry As Chart 2 shows, we are living in a period of elevated uncertainty, starting in 2016 with election issues and then again in the Covid era. Although the 'Covid panic' has passed, politics, elections, and swift policy changes in D.C. continue to stir the pot of concerns. NFIB's Optimism Index has been in recession territory for over a year, as have many traditional indicators. But, the recession stayed away. The future path may become clearer once the budget battle is done and tariff negotiations resolved. Uncertainty Index
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fourth of July fireworks return to East River this year
NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – Macy's Fourth of July fireworks will return to the East River this summer. The fireworks will be launched from the Brooklyn Bridge and four surrounding barges in the East River, Mayor Eric Adams announced Wednesday. More Local News 'This year's Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show, set against the city skyline and on the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, is set to deliver an unforgettable night,' said Will Coss, executive director of the fireworks show. The city will announce information about public viewing locations and tickets in the coming weeks. Last year, the city gave out 10,000 free tickets to view the show on Piers 84 and 45, which sold out in under an hour. The fireworks can be seen from any spot with an unobstructed view of the lower East River, according to organizers. Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Senate Agriculture committee considers Wilson for DEQ secretary
North Carolina Legislative Building (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline) The North Carolina Senate Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee reviewed Reid Wilson's appointment as secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality during its hearing on Wednesday. The hearing was billed as 'discussion only.' Lawmakers will take a vote at their next meeting. Wilson formerly served as secretary for the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources from 2021 to 2024. Before that, he was DNCR's chief deputy secretary from 2017 to 2020. Following his appointment earlier this year by Gov. Josh Stein, he's been serving as DEQ secretary on an interim basis while awaiting confirmation. At the national level, Congress has been working on a federal budget that would include cuts to some of the areas under DEQ's purview. Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D-Wake) asked what the cuts would mean to DEQ and how Wilson would respond. About half of DEQ's budget comes from federal sources, Wilson said. In particular, the proposed budget would remove $31.5 million from operating grants. 'We would have to let a whole lot of people go, and the consequences of that are that our permitting processes would take longer, our responses to spills and other problems would take longer, our responsiveness and assistance to businesses would not be as strong,' Wilson said. 'Everything we do, we would do less well.' Chaudhuri jokingly followed up with, 'Do you still want this job?' Wilson answered in the affirmative. Sen. Jim Burgin (R-Harnett, Lee, Sampson) asked about water quality, specifically microplastics. Wilson said DEQ staff are looking into the issue, and the department also collaborates with others like university researchers to learn more. 'Water quality is a huge priority,' he said. 'It is a significant health concern, so we're gonna' be involved with that.' After Hurricane Helene swept through the western portion of the state, DEQ worked closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide mobile programs testing the quality of drinking wells. Wilson said the agencies found out how polluted the drinking water was, how to get it cleaned, and tested it to make sure it was healthy before people drank it again. 'For folks with a well in the yard or on their property, they're more vulnerable, so we want to make sure we are doing as much testing,' Wilson said. 'We have a [fund] which helps pay for additional private well tests around the state when we determine that that is needed.' Lawmakers also voted to approve two pieces of legislation at Tuesday's meeting, which they discussed yesterday: House Bill 247 ('8-1-1 Amendments') and House Bill 694 ('Study Water/Wastewater Regionalization'). The former heads to the Senate Judiciary Committee and the latter proceeds to the Senate Rules Committee.