OUTER BANKS, N.C. — A community is mourning, and two families are searching for answers after a shooting at the Avalon Pier left one teen dead and another recovering from a gunshot wound.
Zane Hughes, 19, was shot and killed Thursday afternoon outside a popular Outer Banks pier called Avalon Fishing Pier.
A 15-year-old, whose family has asked not to share his name publicly, was shot in the thigh but is expected to recover.
News 3 Reporter Kamilah Williams spoke with both families, who are still trying to make sense of the violence that struck a place many consider peaceful.
Watch previous coverage: 1 dead, 1 medflighted in shooting at Avalon Fishing Pier; suspect in custody
Both families tell News 3 they are devastated and shared how they are trying to move forward.
Barbara Long, the aunt of the surviving teen, said her nephew returned to the site just a day after being shot.
“I ran over to my other nephew who was there, and I started hugging him,” Long said, becoming emotional.
Long, who has medical experience, said she’s no stranger to trauma but wasn’t prepared for the emotional toll of witnessing her own family harmed.
“I'm a nurse, and I see this stuff all the time, but seeing something like that is awful,” she said. “I think I feel more for his mother, because she’s going through a lot right now.”
Full press conference: Police share information on how law enforcement found Avalon Pier shooting suspect
Long said the violence was shocking in a town that draws visitors seeking calm.
“Yeah, I was shocked that it happened,” she added.
The shooting also took the life of Zane Hughes, whose mother, Nicole Hassell, is now grappling with unimaginable grief.
“My soul left my body, and it hasn't returned,” Hassell said.
Hassell described her son as a “remarkable and special young man.” She learned about Zane’s death from his father, her lawyer called to confirm, and said she believes her son may have died protecting someone else.
Watch more: Bystanders recall running for cover during reported Avalon Pier shooting
“Knowing my son and the wonderful man that he was, he probably stepped in front of it to save somebody else,” she said.
Kill Devil Hills Police have charged 16-year-old Henry Lee Hargis of Kill Devil Hills. He is being charged with "First-Degree Murder and Assault with a Deadly Weapon with the Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury."
Kill Devil Hills Police say this incident was isolated and targeted, and there is no ongoing threat to the public.
While the community continues to heal, the memory of the tragedy remains fresh.
