Beckley, WV – (WWNR) – A Raleigh County man has been arrested for allegedly firing gunshots at the end of Beckley’s Chili Night Festival Saturday evening.
Colton Eric Adkins of MacArthur is charged with five counts of wanton endangerment involving a firearm. According to a press release from the Beckley Police Department, Adkins was arrested Monday following a separate brandishing of a firearm incident at the Sheetz on Robert C Byrd Drive. A Glock .40 caliber handgun was recovered. Adkins is currently being held in the Southern Regional Jail pending court proceedings.
Shots were heard around 8:15pm Saturday night during the Chili Night awards ceremony. Beckley Police quickly responded and determined they came from the area of the Charles House on South Heber Street, a couple of blocks away. Though the shots caused some attendees to scatter, no injuries were reported and police say the shots were not connected to Chili Night.
Beckley Police Chief Dean Bailey says, “This type of behavior will not be tolerated at a family event and we will utilize all investigative methods necessary to be able to charge those individuals that caused panic at the event. This is an active investigation and additional arrests are anticipated. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Beckley Police Department or Crime Stoppers of WV via their free P3 Tips app. Cash rewards may be paid for information leading to an arrest in this incident.”
