Original post April 19, 2018: Four people, including one woman and two children, have died following a shooting Wednesday night on Hansel Avenue in West Asheville, according to the Asheville Police Department.
One woman and two children died at a home on Hansel Avenue last night, according to police, who report that Maurice Laron Garner died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
A recorded message from Asheville City Schools Superintendent Denise Patterson to parents this morning states that five children – two from Dickson Elementary School, one from Asheville Middle School, one from Asheville High School and one former Asheville Middle School student were involved in an overnight shooting incident, and that the Asheville Middle and Asheville High School students have died. In the message, Patterson reports that extra counselors have been deployed to all three schools to help students, parents, teachers and the rest of the school community with whatever needs they have.
This story will be updated throughout the day with more information.