On August 8, 2023, 19-year-old Jenna Grace Boles of Roaring River, North Carolina, tragically lost her life in a shooting incident. Jenna was a dedicated firefighter and EMT with the Ronda Fire Department, known for her bright smile, huge heart, and infectious laugh. She was a recent summa cum laude graduate of Wilkes Early College High School and a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Elkin, NC.
The incident occurred on Caudill Road in North Wilkesboro, where deputies found Jenna with a gunshot wound. Her boyfriend, 21-year-old Daniel Long, also a firefighter/EMT in Wilkes County, was performing CPR on her upon their arrival. Long informed investigators that he had accidentally shot Jenna. Tragically, while authorities were on the scene, Long retrieved a firearm from his vehicle and fatally shot himself.
The Wilkes County Sheriff's Office conducted an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shootings. Given that Daniel Long, the individual responsible for Jenna's death, also took his own life immediately afterward, no arrests were made, and there are no other suspects in this case. The community mourned the loss of both young firefighters, remembering their commitment to service and the impact they had on those around them.
