Statesville Shooting Incident – 1301 5th Street

Statesville, North Carolina | May 3, 2023

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023, Statesville Police Officers were patrolling the 1400 block of 5^th Street.  At approximately 6:50pm, officers heard multiple shots coming from the area of 1301 5^th Street.  The officers responded and witnessed multiple vehicles fleeing the area of the incident.

Officers attempted to stop a grey Mercedes leaving the scene, but the driver failed to stop.  Officers pursued the vehicle to the front parking lot of Iredell Memorial Hospital.  There were four occupants in the vehicle, two of whom were suffering from gunshot wounds.  The driver, Daquanta Dobbins, 20 of Statesville, sustained a graze-wound to the head, and a rear passenger, Tayvon Cauthen, 20 of Statesville, sustained a gunshot wound to the lower back.  Dobbins was treated at IMH and released.  Cauthen was transported to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem for treatment of his injuries.  The other occupants in the vehicle, Keith Lackey, 26 of Statesville, and Xavier Poteat, 22 of Statesville, were not injured. 

During the investigation, a third victim arrived at IMH suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg.  The victim, a 16-year-old male, was treated for his injuries and released. 

The Statesville Police Department Violent Crimes Unit and The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation responded to both locations to process the crime scene and vehicles.  A search of the Mercedes was conducted and three firearms along with marijuana were found in the vehicle.  Dobbins, Cauthen, and Lackey have multiple pending felony charges involving drugs and firearms from previous incidents. 

The investigation into this incident is still ongoing and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Statesville Police Department at 704-878-3406. 

About the City of Statesville:

The City of Statesville is truly a diverse community that welcomes new people, new voices and ideas, new industry, and business. We have already made significant investments in our downtown amenities, our business sector, our schools, our infrastructure, and more is on the horizon. We are creating a dynamic future for ourselves as we build on our successful history and the positive energy we experience today, all the while incorporating the values and quality of life that we cherish. To learn more visit www.statesvillenc.net.