Salisbury Police Investigating Three Homicides In One Week, Teaming Up With Community To Help Fight Crime

SALISBURY, N.C. — Three homicides in one week.  Salisbury city leaders are concerned about the rise in violent crime.   They’re teaming up with members of the community to help fight it.  Salisbury Police investigated 10 homicides this year.  Three of them happened this week.

Sunday morning, 39-year-old Gary Lowe was shot several times on Carpenters Circle.  He died at the hospital and no one has been arrested.  On Tuesday morning, investigators say 27-year-old Arturo Alonso was stabbed to death at a home on Pearl Street.  26-year-old Brianna Vaughn is charged in his murder.  Later that same day, 29-year-old Michael Payne was found shot in a parking lot near a home on Williams Road.  He died on the way to the hospital.  Police are still searching for his killer.  The SBI is assisting in each case.  Chief Stokes says his department is implementing several tools to help fight crime.

“One of those things is the crime center.  We have a well established security camera system throughout the city,” says Chief Jerry Stokes, Salisbury Police.  More than 70 cameras are posted around town, many of them in high crime areas.

The police department  has also teamed up with the NAACP for the Salisbury-Cease Fire initiative.  They’re out in neighborhoods talking to people in the hopes of stopping crime before it starts.

“You should be able to go outside your house and not have fear,” says Rev. Dr. Roy Dennis, Pastor of Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church.

“They’re fed up.  The community is tired of losing loved ones to recklessness and pretty much stupidity,” says Gemale Black, President of Salisbury-Rowan NAACP.

In 2019, Salisbury saw a 20 year low in violent crimes.