Asheville Police Charge SC Man with 1st Degree Murder, Armed Robbery

Asheville -- April 19, 2024: APD patrol officers responded to the 160 block of Tunnel Road around 3:13 p.m. on April 18th
for reports of a gunshot wound.

Responding officers located a man in the nearby area suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. The victim was transported to Mission Hospital by Buncombe County EMS in critical condition, where he later succumbed to his injuries. 

A person of interest was taken into custody by patrol officers who quickly flooded the scene.

Information on the identity of the shooting victim is being withheld until Detectives complete next-of-kin notification.

Asheville Police Update:  Detectives consulted with the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office and charged Kenneth Maurice West Jr. of Rock Hill, SC, with 1st Degree Murder and Armed Robbery. 

West was booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility under NO BOND (ineligible for release) issued by the magistrate.

The case is still under investigation. Detectives are asking if anyone has any information about this case to send an anonymous tip by texting TIP2APD to 847411 or using the TIP2APD smartphone application (search "Asheville PD" in your app store).  You can also contact APD at (828) 252-1110. 

Editor's Note:* A criminal charge is an accusation, by law, a person accused of a crime is innocent until proven in a court of law.

WNCTimes