With shootings up in Wilmington, how area law enforcement is fighting violent crime

Law enforcement and prosecutors in the Wilmington area are continuing the fight against violent crime — particularly firearm and drug offenses — through federal, state and local partnerships.

In a news conference Monday, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael Easley joined local and state law enforcement leaders to provide an update on the ongoing, coordinated efforts to combat violent crime in and around Wilmington.

Easley announced the Violent Crime Action Plan, a collaboration between his office, the Wilmington Police Department, the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office, the New Hanover County District Attorney's Office, the United States Marshals Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, that looks to investigate and prosecute those perpetrating crime in the city and beyond.

"This partnership is strong," Easley said. The joint initiative, he said, looks to "try to confront and square off against violent crime in Wilmington, especially the shooters making bullets fly in the streets and those who have disdain for the basic freedoms we all should embrace: the ability to feel safe in our own neighborhood, the ability to walk and go out at night, the ability to trust that our kids can go walk to the bus stop in the morning and home in the afternoon and not have to worry about their wellbeing. That is what it means to be free, and we're not going to settle for anything less in the city of Wilmington, in the state of North Carolina or anywhere in southeastern North Carolina, which our federal law enforcement partners are working vigorously to protect."

As a result of this effort, Easley said, 41 individuals in the Wilmington area have been indicted and arrested, meaning 41 guns have been removed from the streets. Of those, he said, five were fully automatic machine guns and six were non-serialized ghost guns. In addition, 40 grams of fentanyl has been seized, he said.

"The crimes are serious, the threat to the community is real, and the sentences are strong and fair and we will impose them without flinching," Easley said. "Shooters should beware."

In the last year, the city has seen an increase in violent and property crime, as well as an increase in the number of juvenile firearm possession, according to Wilmington Police Chief Donny Williams. Since January, he said, the department has recovered more than 65 firearms from juveniles under the age of 17, with the youngest offender just 14 years old.

Williams said there were 61 shootings from Jan. 1 to June 30 of this year, up 27% from the 48 shootings in the same time period in 2023.

"That is unacceptable," Williams said. "That is unacceptable for our community. We are better than that, and it something that we will not and we should not tolerate."

Ben David, district attorney for New Hanover and Pender counties, called that trend "disturbing." David said his office continues to work to prosecute the individuals committing these acts of violence.

"... If everything's a priority, then nothing is, and our priority has always been gun crime and violent crime in general," David said.

David said a number of firearms used in crimes across the city are stolen, and called on responsible gun owners to lock their firearms in gun safes and use trigger locks — both of which can be obtained free of charge from the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office or Wilmington Police Department.

Relationships and resources are allowing Wilmington-area officials to combat such crime, David said.

"... It's never been a worse time than right now to commit a crime here in the Port City," he said. "We are going to come after you with every resource we have and when we do, we're not going to show mercy because you're not showing that to your victims."

Bennie Mims, special agent in charge with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said collaboration is key to addressing violent crime. Williams, Easley, David and Mims all noted this effort requires community support for success.

"Citizens are a huge part of this," Williams said. "Law enforcement alone cannot make our communities safe."

Community members who have information about illegal activity may call the Wilmington Police Department at 910-343-3600. If anonymity is desired, Williams said citizens can submit a tip using the Tip411 app or *67 their call to block their number. Williams also encouraged parents to talk with their kids about safety.

Reach reporter Jamey Cross at jbcross@gannett.com.