Gang activity suspected in Catawba County mass shooting as four suspects face judge ...Middle East

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- On Friday evening, authorities announced ten additional counts each of attempted murder for four suspected shooters in a mass shooting at a house party early Sunday morning in Catawba County.

The extra charges have been filed against Toland Huff, Jr., Zachary Bates, Izaiah Mitchell, and Ke’Andre Mack.

Sheriff’s officials say they are being held in jail without bond on the additional charges and will have a first appearance in Catawba County District Court Monday.

“Our investigation has revealed that gang motives were a part of this tragedy,” said Major Aaron Turk with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives released new details after court Friday afternoon on what they believe was behind the deadly mass shooting in Catawba County at a house party early Sunday morning.

Four of the suspects who investigators now call the “hillside shooters” were in court Friday before the additional charges were filed in the case.

Prosecutors say some of them have confessed to firing into the crowd of more than 100 people.

Detectives say they have identified the name of the gang they believe was involved in the mass shooting, but they aren’t releasing it.

Prosecutors indicated in court that some of the accused shooters aren’t just confessing to the crimes, but they seem to be turning on one another.

Mack, Mitchell, Bates, and Huff all went before Judge Mark Killian in court Friday.

All four are charged with attempted murder in the deadly Catawba County mass shooting.

Friday morning and early afternoon, before the additional charges were announced, Mack got a $500,000 bond, Mitchell is being held without bond, Bates got a $300,000 bond, and Huff also is being held without bond.

“We do consider all of these defendants an extreme danger to our communities,” said Major Turk.

Prosecutors say some of the suspects confessed to firing from a hillside into a crowded house party from a neighbor’s yard on Walnut Acres Drive early Sunday morning.

One person was killed and eleven others injured.

“All I want is for justice to be served. If it’s right, it’s right. If it’s wrong, it’s wrong,” said Kendra Mack, Ke’Andre Mack’s mother.

Her son is charged with attempted first-degree murder.

“I just pray that whatever’s going on in this courtroom today that God will just step in front of me as well as my family. I still love my son, I don’t love him any less,” said Mack.

Prosecutors said in court Friday that Mack “fully confessed” to planning and carrying out the shooting.

“I would say there’s a lot of influences out here, we can’t say that the age of these children, they did not know what they were doing, but we can say that there are influences. Being a follower is easy, but being a leader takes work,” said Mack.

Prosecutors also said in court that one of the suspects was trying to work his way up in the gang.

Detectives say that while each of the accused shooters might have had different motivations, in general, they were targeting the entire crowd at the house party.

MORE FROM QCNEWS.COM