Overview
- Bar staff say the man had been ejected earlier in the night and then returned to the Shakey’s parking lot with a firearm, prompting staff to call 911 and lock the doors on Wednesday.
- Officers arrived to find the man firing at the building, returned fire, and emergency personnel pronounced him dead at the scene with no officers or patrons reported injured.
- The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation opened a formal inquiry into the officer‑involved shooting and has identified the decedent as Arturo Castillo Palomar.
- Interim Asheville Police Chief Jackie Stepp said investigators have found no evidence so far that the attack was motivated by anti‑LGBTQ bias, and the SBI will compile findings for prosecutorial review.
- Shakey’s credited staff, patrons and first responders with keeping people safe, and the investigation’s outcome could determine charges, any hate‑crime classification and local safety steps to watch for.