There were 12 incidents in which cars and homes were hit by gunfire in southwest Raleigh over a four-day period

Raleigh police and SWAT teams cordoned off a Raleigh neighborhood off Tryon Road, searching for the person responsible for shooting at eight vehicles and four homes this week.

Guns were drawn in the area of ​​Kentford Court in Raleigh around 4 p.m. At 4:20 p.m. Sky 5 flew overhead as a handcuffed man was led into a Raleigh police SUV. A total of two people were arrested.

Before the two were arrested, WRAL News crews parked at the scene saw nearly 25 police officers and heard two lightning strikes. Neighbors were asked to stay in their homes.

According to Raleigh police, there have been 12 shootings since Monday, one of which injured a woman. Check out the timeline.

November 7: Bullet hits cars near NC State

The latest shooting occurred Thursday morning when two cars were struck by gunfire in the 1500 block of Trailwood Drive, near North Carolina State University.

Around 8:50 a.m. Thursday, police responded to a report of shots fired at a white Toyota Camry. Another car was also hit by gunfire. No injuries were reported.

A man in the white Camry called 911 to report that he was on his way to work and was traveling on Trailwood Drive when the bullet hit his door, police said. The man was not hit by the bullet and stopped to call 911.

Sky 5 at 10 a.m. covered the police investigation into the man's car, which was parked at the University Suites, an apartment complex on Trailwood Drive. Investigators searched the car for evidence and took photos of the damage.

A bullet hole could be seen in the front driver's door and shattered glass littered the street.

NC State University police assisted the Raleigh Police Department due to the shooting's proximity to campus.

Valerie Vides, a senior at NC State, saw the chaos outside her apartment window.

“I looked out my window and there were a bunch of police officers, a K-9 unit and a bunch of motorcyclists. [they were] “Out there for a good two hours,” Vides described.

The busy scene helped Vides decide not to go to class Thursday morning.

“I was like, 'I'm not going to go, I'm going to email my teacher,'” Vides said. “I took a photo of the patrol cars, I don’t feel safe leaving.”

In a news conference at noon Thursday, Deputy Police Chief Rico Boyce said the State Highway Patrol (SHP) and the Wake County Sheriff's Office were assisting Raleigh police in the search for the shooter. An SHP helicopter was also used in the search.

Homes and vehicles were shot up on Monday and Wednesday

On Thursday afternoon, Raleigh police linked the two morning incidents to 10 other incidents in the area.

Four cars were hit by gunfire in the following locations on Wednesday morning. Nobody was injured.

• Interstate 40 near Trinity Road
• Interstate 40 near Avent Ferry Road
• Interstate 40 near Cary Towne Boulevard
• Jones Franklin Road near Capital Center Drive

In addition, four houses were hit in the following locations on Wednesday. Nobody was injured.

• Two homes were hit in the 2000 block of Wolf Tech Lane
• A third home was hit in the 2400 block of Centennial Ridge Way
• A fourth home was hit in the 3200 block of Shire Lane

The first incidents occurred Monday when a woman in a Jeep was shot in the leg on I-40 near Cary Towne Boulevard. Another vehicle was struck on I-40 near Buck Jones Road, but no one was injured.

WRAL News spoke with Shannon Defries on Thursday, who said his Ford was one of four vehicles damaged on I-40 on Wednesday. He sent WRAL News photos of broken glass.

“I was driving east on I-40 past the airport, my normal route was to Holly Springs,” Defries described. “I heard a big explosion and glass came in on the right side, [I had] No idea what happened.

Defries believes the shot came from someone in another car.

“I didn’t know if it was a random bullet from the woods,” he said. “I didn’t know if it was the car next to me. I turned and went left.”

Defries can't believe someone would shoot into occupied cars.

“Why are they doing this? Maybe they think it’s funny or a joke,” he said.

In a news conference Wednesday, police said there were six shootings in total – two on Monday and four on Wednesday. The incidents are related. The police have no suspects.

Police believe the weapon used was a handgun.

“Was [going to] We will stay out there until we find out who is responsible for this incident,” Boyce said. “Obviously there are a lot of people driving on this road. “This is a priority for the Raleigh Police Department and we will do everything we can to find out who is responsible.”

Raleigh police said they will deploy additional patrols on that stretch of I-40.

Vides, the NC State student who watched the scene from her window Thursday, said it was concerning to know that shootings had occurred on a street she frequently travels.

“I'll be more careful, I use I-40 every day,” she said. “It’s scary knowing there’s someone out there, anything can happen.”

Officials are trying to determine if the shootings are related

Hunter Glass, a private investigator and law enforcement consultant, said the biggest problem law enforcement faces in shootings of this type is trying to “protect citizens from a shadow.”

“The first task would be to find out if there is a connection between the victims and try to determine a motivation for the crimes,” he said.

Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone is no stranger to such cases. In 2020, the Nash County Sheriff's Office arrested a man speeding down I-95, shooting at several cars along the interstate. The man led officers and law enforcement on a chase that spanned multiple counties.

Stone said tips from drivers play a critical role in finding a suspect.

“[It’s] “It is a very serious crime and something has to be done,” he said. “The ability to report crimes immediately and give good descriptions is what solves these cases and allows these things to be stopped quickly.”

Suzanne Kennedy, a former Washington, D.C., reporter, said drivers could feel a similar level of fear to that in D.C. in 2002 – when a man and a teenager shot 10 people.

“They don’t know who they’re targeting,” she said. “Is it just a coincidence? Is it just an overpass from a side road.” [or] a priority road? You just don’t know, and the unknown is frightening.”

Glass also assured residents that authorities are taking the matter seriously and are taking every step to ensure the safety of drivers.

“I have no doubt that they are fully committed to finding those responsible,” he said. “I can imagine that law enforcement is doing everything it can to gather intelligence, such as street cameras, messages on the street and asking for possible witnesses.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Raleigh police at 919-996-3335 or visit the Crime Stoppers website.