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Man charged with killing another man in Catawba County

Investigators said an argument between both men turned violent Thursday night.

VALE, N.C. — A man is in jail after he reportedly shot and killed another man in a rural North Carolina community Thursday evening.

The Catawba County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to a home along Hope Road near the Vale and Blackburn communities around 5 p.m. after someone reported a person had been shot. They arrived and found 31-year-old Jason Whisnant dead from an apparent gunshot wound.

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Deputies said they were able to quickly arrest 30-year-old Trevor Kiernan O'Mara, charging him with murder. He is in custody at the Catawba County jail and held under no bond. He will make a first appearance in court on Friday.

Investigators said the shooting happened after an argument unfolded between both men. The sheriff's office also noted Whisnant's next of kin had been notified of his death.

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