Asheboro Weekend Shooting Leads to Attempted-Murder Charge; Bond Denied

ASHEBORO N.C. — A suspect is facing multiple felony charges after being arrested in connection with a shooting that critically injured one-person last weekend in Asheboro.

According to Asheboro Police, the shooting occurred just before 11 a.m. on Friday, August 15, 2025. Officers were called to respond to reports of gunfire in the area of Watkins Street. Shortly after, the victim arrived at a business at the intersection of Elm and Salisbury streets suffering from gunshot wounds to his upper arm and neck.

According to a press release, officers provided emergency medical aid until EMS arrived. The victim was then transported to an out-of-county medical facility in critical condition. By Saturday morning, authorities reported his condition had been upgraded to stable, and he is expected to survive.

Investigators located a crime scene on Watkins Street, where multiple rifle-caliber shell casings were recovered. Police said the casings were consistent with bullet damage found in the victim’s vehicle.

The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Dwayne Emilio Rivera, was located nearby and taken into custody. Detectives obtained a search warrant for a residence and recovered a firearm consistent with evidence collected at the scene.

Rivera was charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury (AWDWIKISI), Discharging a Firearm into an Occupied Vehicle, and Discharging a Firearm within City Limits. He was booked into the Randolph County Jail, where he was served with the warrant. In the arrest warrant, police accuse Rivera of firing into the victim’s vehicle on Watkins Street while it was occupied, using what investigators believe may have been an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle.

On August 19, Rivera appeared in Randolph County Court, where his bond was denied and he was appointed a public defender. That same day, Asheboro Police obtained an additional warrant charging him with felony attempted first-degree murder.

At the time of his arrest on the night of the shooting, Rivera was already out on bond on a separate case involving a stolen firearm. In an arrest warrant issued on July 29, police allege that in mid-July police Rivera was in possession of a stolen Anderson AM-15 AR-15 pistol. Rivera was arrested on that warrant on August 13. At a hearing on August 14, his bond was set by the courts at $7,500 secured, which he posted through a surety company the same day, securing his release just days before the shooting incident.

Lieutenant Jacob Kennedy credited the teamwork of multiple divisions in Friday night’s swift arrest. Writing on Facebook, Kennedy said: “This case would not have been solved so quickly without the swift actions of our Patrol Division, the knowledge and tenacious actions of the [Vice / Narcotics]+ Street Crimes Unit, and some dedicated work from our CID/CSI investigators.”

The Asheboro Police Department said the investigation remains ongoing.