ASHEVILLE, N.C. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - North Carolina, Western), published as received.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – James Tyler Lynch, 23, of Asheville, was sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release last Thursday, for assault with intent to commit murder and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence stemming from a shooting incident that occurred on the Blue Ridge Parkway, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

 “The Blue Ridge Parkway is a treasured place where families should feel safe,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “The federal government has a special interest in the safety of our national lands, and this 20-year sentence makes clear that violence will not be tolerated. I very much appreciate the National Park Service for all they do, but particularly for keeping our national lands as the peaceful sanctuary they should be.” 

“The National Park Service’s Investigative Services Branch has a dedicated team of special agents who partner closely with the Department of Justice, working tirelessly to protect victims and ensure justice is served. America’s National Parks are some of the most extraordinary and pristine places in the country, but crimes can still occur. This sentencing reflects our agents’ unwavering commitment to pursuing justice when they do,” said Neil Gardner, Chief of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, National Park Service.

According to court documents and court proceedings, on May 29, 2024, Lynch met the victim at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in Asheville. Lynch brought with him a loaded Kahr Arms, Model P380, .380 caliber pistol which he had concealed from the victim. After a brief conversation, Lynch told the victim they would give the victim a ride. Lynch instructed the driver of the vehicle to drive to Blue Ridge Parkway, while Lynch and the victim rode as passengers. Near milepost 399 along the Parkway, Lynch told the driver to pull off the roadway onto a dirt pullout, where Lynch told the victim to get out of the car. As the victim was walking away Lynch fired at least six shots seriously injuring the victim. After shooting the victim, Lynch and the driver fled the scene.

Court documents show that rangers responded to reports of a gunshot victim lying in the roadway. When they arrived, rangers found the victim who had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his torso, hand, and pelvis. The victim was taken to the hospital and treated for permanent and life-threatening bodily injuries he sustained as a result of the shooting. Special Agents with the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch investigated the case that ultimately led to Lynch’s arrest. 

Lynch will remain in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.