Victims, suspect named in Statesville murder-suicide that killed 3, baby is okay
STATESVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Authorities are releasing more information about a murder-suicide in which a 10-month-old baby was found among the carnage.
The Statesville Police Department got a call around 7:19 a.m. on Friday, May 24, reporting a shooting in the 100 block of Bunker Hill Lane. Officers say they found 26-year-old Simone Octavia Williams shot dead on a neighbor’s front porch.
‘Tragedy’: 3 people killed in apparent murder-suicide in Statesville; baby uninjured
“You could hear the pounding, I heard someone say, I need help. I need help,” said neighbor Larry McCorkle. “So that was the scariest part—not knowing who it was, you know, waking up out of deep sleep like that.”
McCorkle says Simone Williams ran to his home. McCorkle’s wife got to the door moments before Williams was shot.
“By the time I got to the door, my wife had already opened the door,” McCorkle said. “I could hear my wife saying ‘Please don’t. Please don’t.’ Then, I heard two shots.”
Witnesses relayed that 39-year-old Nicholas Goolsby shot Williams before running back into his home. The officers set up a perimeter, and the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office sent an armored vehicle to help.
The US Marshals Service searched the home with a robot and found a 10-month-old baby on the first floor. Officers then went inside to safely grab the child.
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On the second floor, the robot found two people dead, later identified as Nicholas Goolsby and 36-year-old Brandi Delia Goolsby. Evidence points to Nicholas Goolsby shooting Brandi Goolsby before taking his own life, officials say.
“He appeared to be a real nice guy,” McCorkle said, surprised at the situation. “They weren’t from this area. They didn’t have any family here. He seemed just real nice just down-to-earth guy. You know levelheaded, working every day. From the time I known him, this is totally out of character for what I know.”
Both Goolsbys and Williams lived at the home. Authorities have not confirmed how the three know each other; however, neighbors say the baby is now without parents.
The 10-month-old was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation, but is now with family members.
“The Statesville Police Department extends its condolences to the Goolsby and Williams family members during this difficult time,” officials said in a statement. “We would like to express our gratitude to the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force (CRFTF), North Carolina Highway Patrol, and the Rowan County Sheriff’s Department for their invaluable assistance in this matter.”
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