Man Involved in Wake Inn Shooting Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Federal Prison

RALEIGH, N.C. – Amos Clayborne, age 36, of Lexington, Kentucky was sentenced today to 115 months in prison for possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon after he fired into a crowd of people at the Wake Inn in 2021, striking three individuals and paralyzing one.

According to court records and evidence presented in court, Clayborne and his girlfriend visited the Wake Inn on New Bern Avenue in Raleigh on March 27, 2021. Surveillance footage from the inn shows that when they arrived, they were approached by four men and an argument ensued. Shortly after, Clayborne could be seen pulling a firearm from the waistband of his pants. He then proceeded to fire the weapon indiscriminately into a crowd of people on the outside stairwell of the inn. Three people were hit, and one victim sustained a gunshot wound that paralyzed her from the chest down.

Clayborne has two previous felony convictions in Florida including assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill (2008), and robbery without a dangerous weapon (2009).

The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is a collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Raleigh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard Champaign prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-00209-BO.