SALISBURY — Five separate shootings in the city that began just after 5 p.m. Saturday and carried into early Sunday morning have left both the community and the police with questions.

While no deaths came from the numerous shootings, police say several people were injured, two seriously enough to be taken to the hospital and at least one that needed surgery.

Shots were fired into a house near the corner of Bringle Ferry Road and Green Street shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday, say Salisbury police, and a 26-year-old man was injured in the incident, though it was unclear if he was shot in the building or outside on the street. The victim had moved to Liberty Street by the time officers arrived. That victim was treated and released.

Less than two hours later, a juvenile was shot on East Lafayette Street at approximately 6:50 p.m. The 16-year-old was taken to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center for treatment, where officers said he was taken into surgery and is expected to recover.

At about 10:30 p.m., another shooting into an occupied house was reported on Ridge Avenue. A female victim was grazed by a bullet, said police. At that scene alone, police recovered at least 36 shell casings.

The next reported shooting occurred at an apartment complex on Tabernacle Street, where another victim was grazed by a bullet. Water lines in the apartment were also hit by gunfire, causing flooding in all four apartments in the building. A spokesperson for Red Cross, who was called to the scene about 2:30 a.m., said Duke Power had to cut off all utilities to the building since there was an inch of standing water in the bottom floor apartments. All 12 residents had to be relocated, and restoring power could take as much as a week, since repairs must be completed first.

Shots were then fired in the 1400 block of North Main Street at approximately 3 a.m. The final shooting victim, a 43-year-old man, was taken by helicopter to Baptist Medical Center where he is also expected to recover.

Salisbury Police Chief Jerry Stokes said he has talked with the city manager, who has in turn talked to the city council “exploring what things we need to do to address gun violence.”

“I attended a recent meeting with the governor and other police chiefs, and while it’s not much comfort, we are not alone. Other cities are experiencing the same increase in gun violence,” said Stokes. “Nationally we are seeing an increase in gun violence as well. Here in Salisbury, we got things really in a good place back a couple of years ago, but we lost a lot of ground during and after the pandemic.”

Stokes said community involvement and assistance is essential to both addressing the increase in gun crimes and in solving them when they happen.

“It is certainly important that ‘if you see something, say something,'” he said.

Juvenile involvement in gun violence across the state has significantly increased, he added, and “while raising the juvenile age (to 18) was needed, it came with challenges. We need to more proactively address young people involved in gun violence, need additional resources to keep kids away from gun violence and out of gangs.”

Stokes said parental involvement plays a large role in keeping kids on a healthy path.

“Be involved with your kids,” he advised parents. “Make sure they go to school, make sure they can read. They will be successful if they stay in school.”

Police say it is too early in the investigation to say if any or all of the shootings are related. Anyone with information is asked to call Salisbury Police Criminal Investigations at 704-638-5262 or email investigations@salisburync.gov.