Salisbury Police Identify Robbery Shooting Victim

SALISBURY, NC – We are still waiting for police to identify the victim in Salisbury’s latest homicide.

“Citizens are frustrated. Citizens don’t feel safe in our city,” explains Salisbury City Council member Kenny Hardin.

The shooting happened around 8:45 in the parking lot of the the Taco Bell on East Innes Street. The victim then ran next door to a tobacco shop, where he collapsed. He later died at the hospital.

“You’ve got people who are out trying to enjoy dinner at a fast food restaurant and they get caught up in the mix of gunfire. It’s happening all too frequently in our city,” Hardin says.

The name of the victim is Deshawn Patrick Clark age 30 of Salisbury.

Police say several cars in the parking lot were hit and there was also damage to a KFC building down the street.

Hardin says violent crime is keeping the city from reaching it’s full potential.

“We can’t think about economic development, we can’t think about jobs, we can’t think about business relocating, if people don’t feel safe in the communities that they live,” Hardin says.

Last week, police announced they’re partnering with the Department of Justice.

They will focus on reducing gun crime, solving homicide cases, and building a better relationship with the community.

“We always wait on the police to do everything, but you know the police can only do so much,” explains local activist Chariel Dye.

She says the community needs to step up as well.

“Keep the police informed of what’s going on around us. We really need to start speaking up and keeping our eyes and ears to the streets as well,” she says.

Dye points to last year’s unsolved murder of seven-year-old A’yanna Allen.

The little girl was asleep when someone fired into a home, hitting her 20 times.

“If we citizens step up just a little bit and help out the police department, maybe we can at least solve some of these issues of what’s going on right now around here,” Dye says.