Randolph County Detectives Investigate Fatal Shooting of 19-Year-Old in Asheboro

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Sheriff's Office is investigating the shooting death of a 19-year-old man found inside a vehicle on Spinks Road Monday evening. Deputies identified the victim as Bryan Arellano Ponce of Asheboro.

Authorities said deputies were dispatched at approximately 6:24 p.m. October 12 after receiving a report of an unconscious person inside a vehicle. While units were responding, emergency personnel learned that the person had suffered a gunshot wound. First responders attempted lifesaving measures, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said they had identified a person of interest as of Tuesday afternoon. They had not announced an arrest or publicly disclosed additional details about a possible motive, the sequence of events or whether the people involved knew each other. Those unanswered questions remain part of the active investigation.

The location on Spinks Road puts the case in the Randolph County portion of the wider Triad news area. A fatal shooting involving a young adult is a significant public-safety development even when investigators have released only limited facts. Reporting should not turn the phrase person of interest into an accusation of guilt; the sheriff's office has not said that an identified person has been charged.

Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the Randolph County Sheriff's Office at 336-318-6698 or Randolph County Crime Stoppers at 336-672-7463. People with immediate information about a threat should call 911.

TTN News will follow the case for a confirmed arrest, any formal charges and an official account of what happened. Until then, the verified facts are the victim's identity, the time and location of the response, the gunshot wound and the continuing investigation.