Police say more adults could face charges after a planned fight ended with two teens dead and five others wounded.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Authorities in Winston-Salem say criminal charges are expected to widen after a planned fight at a city park turned into gunfire this week, killing two teenage boys and wounding five other young people near a middle school.
Police announced the first charge Tuesday night and said more could follow as investigators review the roles of young adults who were present when the violence broke out at Leinbach Park. The case has drawn attention across North Carolina because the shooting happened in broad daylight, involved multiple shooters and left victims ranging in age from 14 to 19. Investigators say the shooting grew out of a prearranged fight, though key questions about motive and who was meant to be involved remain unanswered.
The shooting happened shortly before 10 a.m. Monday at Leinbach Park in northwest Winston-Salem. Police said a planned fight among young people escalated when multiple people began firing guns. Two boys, later identified as 17-year-old Erubey Romero Medina and 16-year-old Daniel Jimenez Millian, were pronounced dead at the scene. Five others were shot and taken for treatment, with injuries described as ranging from minor to critical. Four of the wounded were female. At a Monday news conference, Police Chief William H. Penn Jr. said the violence left him “frustrated,” “angry” and “sad,” adding that the deaths did not have to happen.
By Tuesday, investigators said they were no longer looking for additional suspects, but the case was still moving forward. Police charged 18-year-old Joel Michael Gamble-Toliver with felony riot and felony child abuse. Authorities said Gamble-Toliver knew about the planned fight before going to the park and later discharged a firearm during the incident. The child abuse count, police said, was tied to conduct showing reckless disregard for human life that resulted in serious injury to a child younger than 16. Officials have not publicly laid out all of the evidence behind the case, and they have not said whether more shooting-related charges will be filed against Gamble-Toliver or others.
Penn also said adults who were present at the gathering would be held accountable if they encouraged, aided or supported the conduct that led to the shooting. He said law enforcement wanted to send a clear message that adults cannot stand by while juveniles are pushed into dangerous behavior. Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill and Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough appeared with Penn in a video update and echoed the call for accountability. Still, police did not immediately explain what specific charges those adults might face, and investigators have not publicly identified how many people they believe could be charged under that theory.
The shooting shook an area near Jefferson Middle School and Mt. Tabor High School, both of which were briefly placed on secure status while officers responded. Classes later resumed, but the event left schools, parents and city leaders confronting another episode of youth gun violence. Penn said the community’s larger problem involves unsupervised young people gathering for fights that can quickly turn deadly. In Winston-Salem and other cities, officials have increasingly pointed to social media and planned meetups as flash points for violence, though police in this case have not publicly described how Monday’s fight was arranged.
Outside the criminal case, the announcement of possible charges against adult bystanders opened another debate. The warning suggested police believe some adults did more than simply watch. Whether prosecutors can prove that in court may become a key question as the investigation develops. For now, the police department is focusing on who knew about the fight ahead of time, who showed up, who encouraged it and who fired weapons when the confrontation erupted. Those answers could shape whether the case remains centered on riot and child abuse allegations or grows into a broader prosecution.
The investigation remained active Wednesday, with one arrest announced and more charging decisions expected as police and prosecutors continue reviewing witness accounts, video and other evidence from the scene.
Author note: Last updated April 23, 2026.