On October 8, 2025, around 6 p.m., deputies were dispatched to a home on Kreston Drive near the Madison County line after a report of a domestic disturbance and a gunshot. They found William Jennings Bryan Clay III, a 55-year-old male, deceased at the scene. The shooting occurred in Buncombe County in the Fairview area.
Investigators with the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office described the incident as isolated, saying there was no ongoing threat to the community.
By the following day, the sheriff’s office announced that the use of deadly force was determined to be in self-defense and in defense of others inside the home. Officials expressed sympathy for those affected while noting that investigative units processed the scene and reviewed the facts.
Authorities said no criminal charges would be filed in connection with Clay’s death. As of the public statements released that week, no arrests were announced, and the individual who fired the shot was not publicly identified by law enforcement.
