If you’ve lived around Cumberland County for any length of time, you know the sound. It’s not always a literal bang. Sometimes it’s just the heavy silence that follows a news notification on your phone. Lately, that silence has been happening way too often. Honestly, trying to keep track of shootings in Fayetteville North Carolina feels like a full-time job some weeks, and the numbers coming out of City Hall lately are... well, they’re confusing.
Here is the weird thing: the Fayetteville Police Department is reporting that overall crime is actually down. Like, down by double digits in some categories. But if you look at the homicide rate? It’s a completely different story.
As of late 2025, homicides in Fayetteville had surged by nearly 68% compared to the year before. We are talking about 34 people killed by the end of September alone. Twenty-two of those deaths involved firearms. It’s a bizarre paradox where the city feels safer on paper for things like car break-ins, but the stakes of an argument have never been higher.
The Reality of the Spike
People always ask if these are random. You’re worried about walking into a grocery store or sitting at a red light. But Chief Roberto Bryan has been pretty vocal about the fact that most of these shootings aren't some "stranger danger" movie plot.
Basically, it’s people who know each other.
Out of the killings tracked through the third quarter of 2025, ten were domestic-related. Eighteen involved individuals who had some kind of prior relationship. We aren't seeing a wave of random snipers; we’re seeing a crisis of conflict resolution. When people get mad in Fayetteville lately, they aren't just shouting anymore. They’re reaching for a holster.
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The geography is also shifting. You used to hear about trouble in very specific pockets of the city. Now? We’ve seen investigations on Slim Circle, the 8000 block of Cliffdale Road, and Sapona Road. Just this past January 2026, detectives were still pleading for help with the shooting death of Tavon Donte Adams, a 28-year-old killed back in July on Slim Circle.
Why the 87% Clearance Rate Matters
One thing the Fayetteville PD keeps hanging their hat on is their "clearance rate." Basically, that’s the percentage of cases they actually solve.
While the national average for solving murders sits around 58%, Fayetteville is hitting roughly 87.5%. That’s huge. It means if a shooting happens, the police are almost certainly going to find who did it. But as Mayor Mitch Colvin has pointed out, catching people after the trigger is pulled doesn't bring anyone back. It’s a reactive success in a proactive nightmare.
Beyond the Yellow Tape
You can’t talk about shootings in Fayetteville North Carolina without talking about the impact on kids. It’s heartbreaking. In mid-2025, the city was shaken by a shooting at a carnival where a 12-year-old was wounded. Even the Dogwood Festival—which is basically a Fayetteville institution—was interrupted by gunfire last year.
Nobody was hurt at the festival, thanks to quick police work, but the "vibe" changed instantly.
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The city responded with some pretty aggressive moves. We’re talking:
- A 9 p.m. curfew for minors who don’t have an adult with them.
- Bans on masks and certain types of bags at city-sponsored events.
- An expanded network of AI-driven cameras and license plate readers.
- Heavier rewards—up to $5,000—for Crime Stoppers tips.
It feels a bit like a fortress sometimes. Some folks think it’s necessary. Others, like Councilman Mario Benavente, argue that we are just "criminalizing poverty" and that the real issue is how easy it is to get a gun in North Carolina after the state loosened permit laws a few years back.
What’s Actually Changing in 2026?
We’re starting to see a shift toward something called the Office of Community Safety (OCS). The idea is to stop the shooting before the 911 call ever happens.
They’re looking at "violence interrupters"—people who actually go into neighborhoods and talk people down from beefs. It’s based on models that worked in places like Durham and Greensboro. Honestly, it’s a gamble. It relies on trust, and trust is a rare commodity in some parts of town right now.
But if the "tough on crime" approach alone was working, the homicide rate wouldn't have doubled in the first half of 2025. Something has to give.
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How to Stay Informed and Safe
If you’re trying to navigate this, don't just rely on neighborhood Facebook groups. They’re usually 90% rumors and 10% panic.
- Use the P3 Tips App: It’s the official way to send anonymous info to Crime Stoppers.
- Follow the FPD Media Releases: They post every single major incident on the city’s official website. It's dry, but it's the only way to get the real names and locations without the "he-said-she-said."
- Get a Gun Lock: The Fayetteville Police Department literally gives these away for free at most community events. If you have a weapon in the house, for the love of everything, lock it up. Accidental shootings of kids in NC are at a terrifying high.
The reality of shootings in Fayetteville North Carolina isn't that the city is a war zone. It’s not. Most people go about their lives just fine. But there is a specific, lethal trend of interpersonal violence that is claiming young lives—mostly young Black men, according to local health data—at an unsustainable rate.
Keeping an eye on the 2026 quarterly crime reports will tell us if the new curfews and community safety offices are actually making a dent or if we’re just moving the problem to the next block. For now, the best thing you can do is stay aware of your surroundings, especially at large public gatherings, and keep those doors locked.
Practical Next Steps
- Check the City of Fayetteville’s Police Department News page weekly for updates on cold cases.
- Contact the Phoenix Center if you or someone you know is dealing with a domestic situation that feels like it’s escalating toward violence.
- Attend the next City Council public safety forum to see where the 2026 budget is actually going—whether it's more cameras or more social workers.