Shots fired in Salisbury

Sunday night 52-year-old David Harris of Salisbury was arrested after police got reports of a man firing shots in the air.

Police believe the incident occurred as a result of a dispute between neighbors.

Harris was reported to be intoxicated at the time of the event and a source close to him said that Harris had been struggling with a long time battle with alcohol addiction and had a brief stint in rehab the week prior.

Those in the community who saw or heard the shots were still shaken up when 47 ABC spoke with them Monday, but say they still feel safe in their neighborhood.

Nicole Smart was outside with a friend and their children. One neighbor, Nicole Smart, was outside with her friend and their children when Harris open fired.

“We heard a loud noise, sounded like a gunshot and it was really deafening and scared us, about five seconds later there was another shot and that was when we smelled the gun powder,” Smart said.

Within minutes of the incident neighbors say police arrived on the scene and quickly locked down the neighborhood – closing the street, evacuating the house next door and the one across the street all while telling everyone else to stay indoors.

Police say it took 40 minutes communicating Harris to draw him out of the house and after speaking to witnesses they say they have general idea what started it all.

“Preliminarily it was a dispute with a neighbor that we are starting to learn now and we’re still trying to get some more details as to that,” said Capt. Rich Kaiser of the Salisbury Police.

Kaiser said they believe Harris fired two to four shots, with one of the shots hitting an SUV parked in front of Harris’ neighbor’s house.

Police were unsure Monday when 47 ABC spoke to them if the car was linked to the dispute, but hope to gain that knowledge when they interview Harris.   

As for the community, shots have been fired here before and with a far more tragic outcome. Two years ago down the street Salisbury student Kristen Loetz was the lone survivor of a murder suicide at the hands of her ex-boyfriend.

Despite that isolated incident and Sunday night’s gunshots residents tell us they feel safe in their neighborhood.