Local businesses speak out after shooting on Market Street

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Many nearby businesses and neighbors say they are still in a bit of shock after a shootout on Market Street Friday afternoon.

Some employees said they feel safe being back at work because of how law enforcement handled the situation.

911 calls came in just minutes after neighbors were shocked, scared and confused about random gunfire into a home on Dixie Avenue. The incident happened just after 5 p.m. on Thursday night.

Wilmington police said this was the first of four shooting throughout the community. Police believe the same man was the suspect in two of the shootings on Thursday and two more on Friday.

Jada Miller, is an employee at a nearby gas station. Miller was working when that fourth shooting happened on Market Street Friday afternoon.

“So all of a sudden you hear like a pop, pop pop. Most of my customers, they was looking outside thinking it was fireworks and then I was like, no way, it’s fireworks in the daytime,” said Miller.

35- year -old William Gilmore began shooting at Law Enforcement while Miller was at work. Gilmore was shot multiple times by law enforcement and died at the scene.

Now, broken glass and small pieces of crime scene tape are all that remain.

“At the beginning, it was like a couple pops. So I thought maybe they were in firecrackers or just someone having fun. I didn’t realize there was you know, life and death going on outside,” said Joshua Gao, an employee who works across the street from where the shooting played out.

Gao’s business did not suffer any damages, some others in the shopping center have broken windows.

" I didn’t realize what was going on until I saw the police vans pulling up everywhere. Around noon there was a couple of gunshots which I didn’t recognize as gunshots, initially. It was only after there was a bunch of police sirens going off that I took a look outside,” said Gao.

Gao and Miller both said they never expected anything like this to happen in the Wilmington community.

" I’ve never seen anything like this up close like or semi close. Just hear about it,” said Miller.

As nearby businesses reopen, Gao and Miller said they feel safe enough to go back to work.

" The danger has passed. So I don’t see any reason to take a day off,” said Gao.

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