On Thursday, November 7, two dozen police officers surrounded Andrew Thomas Graney’s home with guns drawn, arresting him in connection to a dozen shootings that took place throughout November 5, 6, and 7.
Graney, a 23-year-old NC State student, was charged on Friday with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to kill or inflicting serious injury, in addition to 11 counts of firing a weapon into an occupied vehicle or dwelling. Throughout his three-day spree, the shooter struck several vehicles and residences and injured one person.
The senseless shootings incited fear within the Raleigh area and the Wolfpack community, even causing some students to stay home from classes to ensure their safety.
Graney is a senior majoring in anthropology with no previous criminal record. He worked as a resident assistant for NC State in 2022. His motive for the crimes is unknown, and although another unidentified individual was originally detained with Graney, this individual has since been released with no charges.
Several items were seized from Graney’s home at the time of his arrest, including a 0.45 caliber handgun with magazine, a black gun case, and shell casings.
The only person injured in the shootings was a woman driving on I-40 on November 4. When she was driving, a bullet hit her leg and she was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. In her 911 call, she expressed her confusion to the police.
“I don’t know what happened,” she said. “I was driving on the highway. Something hit my legs, and I’m bleeding really bad.”
The other shootings took place on Trailwood Drive, Avent Ferry Road, Wolf Tech Lane, Centennial Ridge Way, and nearby streets in southwest Wake County.
With many incidents occurring near campus, the university issued an on-campus safety notice on November 7, reading “The NC State University Police Department is assisting the Raleigh Police Department following a shooting incident near 1500 Trailwood Drive. No injuries were reported and no suspect information is available at this time. Multiple agencies are on scene and the NC State community is advised to avoid the area.”
The victim of the Trailwood shooting told police, “I believe I’ve just been shot, or my car has just been shot by whoever is shooting cars over here. I was just about to go over the bridge of Trailwood and 40 and my driver’s side window shattered, and there’s a bullet hole in my door.”
Other 911 calls by the victims within the cars and homes that were shot at conveyed a similar sense of bewilderment and fear, as the bullets barely missed several people. One of the cars that was hit even had four passengers, none of which were injured.
In a phone interview with WRAL, Treka Graney — Graney’s mother — expressed shock upon learning her son was involved in the shootings.
“It is totally out of character,” she said. “He’s a sweet boy. Everybody loves him. He always stands up straight. He’s very polite. He always follows the rules.”
She went on to say that guns, even toy guns, were never allowed around the house, and she suggested that he may have been under the influence of drugs.
“All I can tell you is the kid that I raised is not this kid,” she said.
Graney is set to appear in court again on November 27.
