Homeowner was on his porch, shooting at cars, NC police say. Officers killed him

A gunman who wounded a driver while randomly shooting at cars was confronted and killed on his front porch, according to investigators in North Carolina.

It happened around 8:30 a.m. Friday, in a neighborhood of single-family homes on 5th Street SE in Hickory.

The suspect has been identified as 64-year-old James Andrew Thompson, and his wife was the first to call for help, Hickory police said in an April 3 news release.

“The Hickory Police Department’s Communication Center received a 911 call from a female reporting that her husband was in possession of a firearm and intended to harm himself,” police said.

“While officers were responding, multiple neighbors called 911 and reported that the male subject was standing on his porch and firing a weapon at vehicles passing by the residence. One male driver was struck by that gunfire. He was transported to a local hospital where he is currently listed in stable condition.”

Officers arrived at the home to find Thompson seated on his front porch, armed with a gun, officials said.

“Officers issued multiple verbal commands instructing him to put down the weapon. Thompson refused to comply and raised the firearm toward the officers. In response to this threat, officers discharged their weapons,” police said.

“Thompson was pronounced deceased at the scene by Catawba County EMS.”

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was alerted and is investigating the killing, officials said. The officers involved have been “placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation,” which is standard procedure.

Hickory is about a 60-mile drive northwest from uptown Charlotte.

This story was originally published April 4, 2026 at 5:39 AM with the headline "Homeowner was on his porch, shooting at cars, NC police say. Officers killed him."