Two killed in shooting near Winston-Salem middle school
Shooting near Winston-Salem school kills two; multiple people identified in investigation.
Event / Security
Winston-Salem Park Shooting
Mass shooting at Leinbach Park near Jefferson Middle School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on April 20, 2026. Two people were killed and several injured when a planned altercation escalated into gunfire. Multiple suspects identified including juveniles. School remained operational during incident.
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2026-08-18 to 2026-11-15 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 21 Apr, 02:36 UTC
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What happened
Mass shooting near Winston-Salem middle school leaves two dead
A shooting occurred at Leinbach Park near Jefferson Middle School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Monday, April 20, 2026 at approximately 9:50-9:52 a.m. EST. Two people were killed and several others were wounded when a planned fight between young individuals escalated into gunfire involving multiple shooters exchanging fire. Law enforcement reported that some of those involved were juveniles.
Multiple people identified and located in North Carolina shooting investigation
Winston-Salem Police Department reported that several individuals, both victims and suspects, were identified and located following the shooting at Leinbach Park. Authorities continued efforts to account for everyone involved due to the large number of people at the scene. Some of those involved in the incident were identified as juveniles.
North Carolina schools remained operating during shooting incident
Jefferson Middle School in Winston-Salem remained open and operating on a normal schedule during the shooting that occurred in the adjacent Leinbach Park. School officials later confirmed the school was clear and open for student pickup. The shooting did not occur at the school itself but in the nearby park.
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