In North Carolina, manslaughter is considered a killing without malicious intent. This means that in order to be convicted of murder or homicide, one must have killed someone intentionally. Therefore, when investigators are presented with a killing, they must help authorities determine what type of homicide occurred.
Last Wednesday night, police say a local man was gunned down behind a couple of apartments that are east of downtown Raleigh.
According to reports, officers received a call regarding a shooting. A woman called 911 to report the gunfire. The caller managed to give the dispatcher the address where the shooting occurred.
When officers arrived, they found the individual with at least one gunshot wound. The man was transported to WakeMed; however, he died some time after he arrived.
Residents in the area said they heard two or three gunshots that brought a lot of people outside their homes. Although residents were interested in knowing what was occurring, many residents indicated that they would not have paid much attention to the gunshots had they not been so loud. This is because gunfire is common in the area.
Authorities were still collecting evidence at the homicide scene last Thursday morning. Police have not made an arrest in the shooting, and they have not disclosed a motive.
If a suspect is ultimately arrested for this crime, the assignment of charges will depend on various factors. Will this the person be accused of homicide or manslaughter? So far, authorities have not disclosed a motive or intent. This means that the incident could have been a heat of passion homicide. If this is the case, the suspected person would face lower charges and penalties.
Source: News & Observer, “Man shot and killed in Raleigh,” Thomasi McDonald and Amanda James, May 31, 2012
