Police involved shooting in my once sleepy hometown
Suspect was released earlier this week on a concealed gun charge
The police in my once sleepy hometown of Holly Springs were forced to shoot a suspect in front of the Target in Grand Hills Place shopping area in the early hours of April 4.
Per the police scanner, a man in a grey jacket was reported to Holly Springs Police (HSP) as being in front of the Target, acting suspiciously.
That man ended up being 23-year-old Tripp Walker Sheckells who was shot by HSP officers around 4:45 a.m.; not long after the suspicious activity call was given to patrol officers to check out.
Audio from the time frame when the dispatcher sent officers to the Target is below.
At the 1:47 mark, officers arrive on the scene. At the 4:40 minute mark, an officer yells over the radio “Shots fired! Shots fired!”
When HSP officer approached Sheckells, he pulled a gun out of his coat and officers opened fire.
HSP officers were uninjured.
Sheckells was shot in the lower back.HSP Officers Cozy Jackson and Anthony Minchella rendered aid until EMS arrived and took Sheckells to WakeMed. His condition at this time is “Stable.”
Earlier today, Holly Springs Chief of Police, Paul J. Liquorie told media,"We are committed to cooperating with a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the circumstances of the shooting. We understand the impact of such incidents on our community and are dedicated to maintaining the trust and safety of Holly Springs residents.”
Per a press release from the Town of Holly Springs, Sheckell is being charged with with two counts of Assault with a Deadly Weapon on a Government Officer and one count of Carrying a Concealed Gun.
More To The Story
Sheckells had very recently been arrested by the Wake County Sheriff’s Office on a concealed gun charge on April 2.
Scheckell’s Sunshine Crest Coourt address is just on the edge of Holly Springs, in Apex in a subdivision off of Sunset Lake Road.
Court records show he was released with no bail and a promise to appear in court at a later day.
Law enforcement sources also tell me he is a person of interest in various car theft attempts in the Apex-Cary-Holly Springs area.
Court records also show three instances of being cited for speeding in southwestern Wake County between 2020 and 2021.
2020 cited for speeding in Apex
2020 cited for speeding, expired registration, and illegal license plate cover in Holly Springs
2021 cited for speeding in Cary
All of the speeding cases were disposed. The April 2 concealed gun charge is still pending.
Last year I had written about Holly Springs and the proactive policing in my town for North State Journal.
My town has seen explosive population growth and I was curious about changes in crime, in particular organized retail crime which has skyrocketed nationally, so I interviewed Liqourie and Holly Springs’ Mayor Sean Mayefskie.
Folks can read the article here: Holly Springs, a town with explosive population growth, sees policing done right