Wilmington Councilmember proposes curfew, ordinances after downtown shooting

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington business owner and city councilmember are voicing concerns following a string of recent downtown shootings.

Police say one person was killed in a shooting early Sunday morning on North Front Street. The incident was one of several shootings reported in the downtown area over the weekend.

Josh Cranford, owner and operator of Front Street Brewery, said the increase in violence is having an impact on his business.

“When people are afraid to go downtown, that affects me financially and personally,” Cranford said.

He said his restaurant closes at 10 p.m. to avoid late-night activity.

“It’s just a lot of young kids, a lot of big groups — we’ve seen lots of actual violence, actual fights happening outside of our doors,” Cranford said.

Cranford has operated his business on North Front Street for nearly 20 years. He said he has seen the area go through changes but is concerned about recent trends.

Wilmington City Councilmember Luke Waddell addressed the issue in a social media post Sunday, citing safety concerns and outlining proposed actions for city leaders to consider.

“It was, you know, a really tough weekend for crime downtown — which is always something that kind of makes everybody say, ‘What’s going on?’” Waddell said.

In his post, Waddell highlighted several issues, including underage groups gathering in bar areas, fireworks being launched into crowds, and what he called public disorder involving homeless individuals refusing services.

He said he plans to bring several proposals to city council, including a juvenile curfew, a public camping and trespassing ordinance, and a policy review regarding bars that allow underage patrons.

“Looking at some of these bars whose whole business model is trying to let people in under 21 — that’s an issue, and it’s something that we should certainly look at from a policy standpoint,” Waddell said.

Cranford said he supports the city’s effort to address safety and hopes other business owners will get involved.

“I don’t want anyone to be afraid of being downtown,” Cranford said. “We’ve busted our tail too long and put too much money and time and effort to make sure it is a great place.”

Waddell said he appreciates the work of the city’s interim police chief and hopes that with a permanent chief selected soon, more action will be taken.