WILMINGTON — With gun possession and violence surging in Wilmington, federal and local law enforcement are making strides in addressing the issue through an interagency initiative aimed at removing offenders from the streets.
READ MORE: ‘Guns galore’: WPD seizing more firearms as violent crime dips, property crime continues increase
“We speak today with one team together using one voice with one very clear message that we’re not going to settle for any level of gun violence in this community,” U.S. Attorney Micheal Easley Jr. said Monday. “And we’re not going to stop until we bring an end to it.”
Easley was accompanied by District Attorney Ben David, Wilmington Police Chief Donny Williams, and ATF Special Agent in Charge for the Charlotte Field Division Bennie Mims. The group spoke to media at the WPD headquarters about the Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP), a collaborative effort between federal and local agencies.
Launched at the beginning of last year, VCAP aims to mitigate an increase in shootings and the amount of juveniles armed. Wilmington Police Chief Donny Williams said shootings have jumped from 48 to 61 incidents — roughly 31% — compared to the same period last year.
Specifically, juvenile gun-related crimes have grown within city limits. In 2024 so far, the WPD has seized 65 firearms from minors alone — one being as young as 14 years old. WPD released last week that during the month of June, 12 firearms were seized from minors.
David attributed some gun crimes, specifically juvenile-related ones, to stolen firearms.
“Guess where they’re getting them from?” he asked. “They’re getting them from your largely unlocked cars and homes.”
Wilmington also has seen a spike in property crimes — burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. David and Williams say the increased gun theft from juveniles is parallel to an increase in property crimes.
“You have to go upstream,” David said. “These car breaking-and-enterings in particular — and home breaking-and-enterings — are feeding what we’re seeing in the hands of our children, which are weapons.”
WPD has reported increased property crimes for two years now; in 2022 it escalated by nearly 27% from the previous year. In 2023, it went up again by 21%. This year’s report also indicated merchant theft and vehicle break-ins were influential in the property crime rise.
David recommended starting at the source to combat gun crimes — in this case, tamping down on property crimes.
So far local agencies have embarked on collaborative efforts, including help from the United States Marshal Service and FBI. It has resulted in 37 federal indictments, 41 gun seizures, and the confiscation of over 40 grams of fentanyl — leading to a combined total of 1,700 months in custody for defendants in resolved cases.
Easley and Davis highlighted, in coordination with state officials, some cases are being fast-tracked to the federal level when appropriate.
“We’re going to take you into the federal system if we can, we’re going to use the Al Capone method to put you on a video if it means making a drug case,” David said.
Easley pinpointed numerous prosecutions, such as Blood gang member Desmond “Head” Hines, a career offender in Wilmington who was charged on July 2 with possessing a gun as a felon. Hines has also been charged with federal-level drug offenses and is facing up to 20 years or more in federal prison.
Easley brought up Charles Green as well, charged in January of this year with drug trafficking and firearm charges after shooting a funeral home in the area. Green is serving nearly 20 years in federal prison.
Shaquille Gregg, a repeat offender and member of the Bloods, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison by the U.S. attorney for discarding a firearm in a daycare playground during a traffic stop.
“We’re going to come after you with every resource we have and when we do, we’re not going to show mercy because you’re not showing that to your victims,” David said.
ATF agent Mims credited the combination of agency resources to make the arrests. He mentioned a successful effort with ballistic training from the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network. The database is managed by the ATF that enables the collection and analysis of ballistic evidence, such as shell casings or bullets.
According to Mims, the system was used more than 30,000 times last year; 600 were for Wilmington cases.
The area officials asked for the community to report a crime if they see it or send a text or tip anonymously with any information obtained about a crime. They also requested residents to keep houses, vehicles and guns safely locked.
“We can’t do this alone,” Mims said.
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