Armed man shot by homeowner in Gaston County following argument

GASTONIA, N.C. (WBTV) - Police in Gastonia are investigating a shooting that happened at a home late Thursday night along Crescent Lane.

Officials said an armed man walked up to the front door of the home before being shot by someone inside. The man died a short time later.

Most residents who live in the area have been doing so for decades. They describe it as a quiet family-type area, and they said they certainly weren’t expecting gunfire so close to home.

“When we moved here, it was dirt roads,” an anonymous neighbor said. “I have never known a break-in over here. I have never known a shooting on this street.”

The thought of such a violent act is almost a foreign concept to many in the area.

Police said after the shooting, 50-year-old Frankie Jones, died at the scene.

Investigators said Jones, who was armed at the time, came up to the front door of the Crescent Lane home around 10:45 p.m.

“The deceased came to the house armed with a handgun, confronted an individual inside the home at the doorway of the house, and the individual inside the home fired a shot, which struck our deceased,” Rick Goodale of the Gastonia Police Department said.

A call for help was made from inside the home. Medics rushed to the scene but weren’t able to save Jones. At this point, it is unknown what the argument was all about or what instigated the first shot.

Police are still investigating the case.

As for the local community, even though many of the people living in the area didn’t know the folks involved, their hearts still go out to them.

“It just hurts. It hurts a little,” another neighbor said.

Gastonia Police are asking for the public’s help in the case. They are asking residents in the area to check their surveillance cameras or any doorbell footage to see if they captured any images of what happened.

Related: Police: Charlotte man shot, killed outside of Gaston County home

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