BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NC. (THECOUNT) — Lauren Payne, of Arden, North Carolina, has been identified as the victim in an apparent murder-suicide in Buncombe County on Wednesday.
Payne, 23, was fatally shot Wednesday at an Arden residence. 22-year-old Ian Clement Niesel has been identified as the suspected deceased shooter.
According to reports, deputies arrived at 38 Cutshaw Drive in Arden to conduct a welfare check on Wednesday. At some point in the investigation, Payne and Niesel were both found deceased of gunshot injuries.
Officials later determined that Niesel shot Payne before turning the weapon on himself.
Payne and Niesel lived together at the residence, according to officials.
“On the morning of February 15, Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office Deputies arrived at the residence after being contacted by a family member of the deceased,” the news release said. “Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators processed the scene and collected evidence including a firearm that is believed to have been used in both deaths.”
The case remains under investigation.
DEVELOPING::
Geo quick facts: Buncombe County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is classified within Western North Carolina. The 2020 Census reported the population was 269,452. Its county seat is Asheville. Buncombe County is part of the Asheville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area – Wikipedia.
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