One year later: WPD program addressing homeless making progress, but people are still concerned

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Wilmington Police Department said the man who shot at offices in front of a gas station on Friday is homeless and has a criminal record.

The shooting has led some to wonder how police are handling the homeless situation.

The “Getting Home Street Outreach Program” rings police and social workers together to help those in need.

The program was started back in December of 2022.

Officers and social workers go out into the homeless community to see what people might need to begin getting back on their feet.

Needs can range from getting a driver’s license… to finding a meal and a warm place to sleep for the night.

Sergeant Ronald Evans is in charge of the unit.

He said while the unit has helped several people, it’s important to remember that homelessness is not always a choice people intentionally make.

“Well there are a lot of components that go into homeless,” Evans said. “You have some that are suffering from mental issues, you have some that are suffering from drug abuse, alcohol abuse, domestic violence issues as well. At the same time, there are some in the population who do not have any of those components that going on in their life. Life has just taken a hard left turn for them.”

Friday’s shooting impacted one local business when a bullet went through its front window.

Halloween 365 owner Scott Powell voiced concerns that while police have good intentions to help as best they can, sometimes it isn’t enough.

“And you start to contemplate, well what do we do,” Powell said. “The police are understaffed, they need help, they need support and we have people with real mental challenges that need help. So as a small business owner, this is the final result of when we don’t deal with those issues, this is what happens.”

Despite Powell’s concerns, Sergeant Evans said the program is a step in the right direction.

“So our team is still hitting the ground running every single day and you know, trying to address the issues, not only of the population within themselves but the concerns of the general public, private business owners, stakeholders, things of that nature,” Evans said.

The man involved in Friday’s shooting, Edwin Leroy Vaughan appeared in court Monday on two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm.

He is expected to be given 19 additional charges, including attempted first-degree murder in the coming days.