Noah Joseph Ensley was 15 and a tenth grader at Smoky Mountain High School when he died from gunshot wounds on March 27, 2022. The shooting occurred at the family home on Ferguson Road in Sylva, North Carolina. Noah and his 10-year-old brother Bridger Owen Ensley were both found with gunshot injuries after a 911 call; both were taken to Harris Hospital and then airlifted to Mission Hospital in Asheville. Noah died the same day; Bridger died the next day.

Authorities described the incident as isolated and say all involved parties have been identified. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are conducting a joint investigation; no charges had been filed as of the latest update. Noah was active in Future Farmers of America and the Sportsman’s Club, and was known for welding, hunting, fishing, and farming.

If anyone knew Noah or Bridger or has information about the March 27 shooting, please come forward to assist the ongoing investigation.