WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — A three-year-old in Winston-Salem is recovering after being shot on Wednesday during a domestic dispute at an apartment on Royal Forest Court.
Police say the child was initially in critical condition but is now improving. A woman has been charged in connection with the case.
India Knight, 26, was charged with felony possession of a firearm by a felon.
Winston-Salem Police Department’s Gun Crime Reduction Unit and Gang Unit are investigating the shooting.
Neighbors told FOX8 they overheard an argument between adults outside of the home, and moments later, they heard a series of gunshots.
Police responded to the 200 block of Royal Forest Court on Wednesday around 2:26 p.m. in response to a reported assault involving a firearm.
Once they arrived, officers learned a 3-year-old had been shot. The child was rushed to the hospital.
Police said a 32-year-old man was also shot.
Investigators said everyone involved in the incident knew one another.
Court records show Knight posted bond on Dec. 15 on unrelated charges. Court documents also note that Knight and the man involved have a child together.
Police said additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues.
Winston-Salem Police Chief William Penn Jr. shared the following statement after the shooting:
I am outraged just as many in the community are and should be. In a stunning act of foolishness, a 3-year-old child was shot. I want to first thank the Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD) officers, EMS personnel, and the medical teams at both local hospitals who responded without hesitation and are continuing to fight to save this child’s life. Their actions were nothing short of heroic and provided an example of placing the life of a child before their own. I do not care who started this conflict. That is irrelevant. What matters is that adults made reckless, violent decisions that placed a defenseless child directly in harm’s way. This child had no ability to de-escalate, no opportunity to walk away, and no voice in the chaos created by adults who chose violence instead of restraint.
This incident represents a complete failure of responsibility. When adults act on impulse and resort to violence—especially in the presence of children—it is our children who suffer the consequences. Let me remind everyone: our children are watching us. We cannot demand that they resolve conflict peacefully while adults continue to model aggression and violence.
The Winston-Salem Police Department will continue to conduct a thorough and relentless investigation. The true measure of a community is how it protects its most vulnerable members. In this case, we failed a child—and that is unacceptable. We must do better, and we will do better.
Police records also show officers were called to the address on Royal Forest Court nine times in 2025, including four assault-related calls, two calls for assault with a deadly weapon and two calls for assault on a female.
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