Holly Springs man charged in connection to 32 pellet gun shootings
A Holly Springs man was arrested for pellet gun shootings dating back to March of 2020.
Henderson Atwater, 44, of Holly Springs was charged with 26 counts of discharging a barreled weapon or firearm into occupied property, two counts of discharging a barreled weapon into an occupied dwelling, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and assault with a deadly weapon.
Wake County deputies said since March, they have received 32 incident reports of cars, people and houses being shot by a pellet gun. The first shooting was reported on March 7, 2020, and the latest shooting was on Jan. 20, 2021.
All of the shootings were in southwestern Wake County, with the majority taking place along Piney Grove Wilbon Road. Other roads where shootings were reported include:
- New Hill Holleman Road in New Hill
- Cass Holt Road in Holly Springs
- Friendship Road in New Hill
- Mims Road in Holly Springs
- West Academy Street in Fuquay-Varina
Deputies said in the 26 cases where cars were hit by pellets, the victims were driving and were hit by Atwater as he drove in the opposite direction. In two of the shootings, the victims were hit by pellets and injured.
Atwater was arrested on the charges while in custody on unrelated outstanding warrant charges.
No additional pellet gun shootings have been reported since Atwater's arrest.
He remains at Wake County Detention Center.
