Workers, owners concerned after several businesses shot at in recent weeks

By Caitlyn Penter

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — Multiple businesses in South Asheville are reporting that their windows have been shot out in recent weeks.

Business owners say they’re speaking up about the issue to hopefully get some attention on it.

“We came in Thursday morning and we opened up, turned on all our signs and just looked back and realized that the window was busted,” said Carrie Avery who works at Denny’s Jewelry and Pawn on Hendersonville Road.

Avery said they found a marble near the window. She said it looks like the marble was shot through the window from the road.

News 13 heard reports of windows shot out at five businesses, four along Hendersonville Road and one on Long Shoals Road in the last week.

“It has you thinking a lot about the area I guess,” said Avery.

Mike Smith, the owner of Fat Cats Billiards, made the connection that multiple businesses have been targeted recently.

The issue hits home for him because they too had had their window shot out a couple years ago.

“Right after we went to Denny’s we went and got our insurance on Long Shoals road re-upped and their window got shot out and they told us that three other places got their windows shot out same night,” said Smith.

Workers at Blue Cross Blue Shield told News 13 they’ve had their windows shot out multiple different times in recent weeks. One of the times workers said people were inside.

“We don’t want to get a reputation of being somewhere that you don’t want to stop or do business with because of things like this that’s happening along this road,” said Avery.

A spokesperson for the Asheville Police Department said that APD is certainly concerned with any kind of property damage or weapons discharged. APD encourages businesses to contact law enforcement to investigate, as well as encouraging residents to come forward with any information they may have about a case or any criminal activity.

To submit a tip to APD you can call the Asheville Police Department’s non-emergency number at (828) 252-1110. You can also send an anonymous tip by texting keyword TIP2APD and their message/tip to 847411.

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