North Carolina State Crime Lab Generates 10,000 NIBIN Leads on Gun Evidence

For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Contact: comms@ncdoj.gov

RALEIGH – Today, Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced that the North Carolina State Crime Lab reached a national milestone of generating 10,000 leads through the National Integrated Ballistic Information (NIBIN) System. NIBIN is administered by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The system helps connect unique ballistic evidence to firearms used in crimes in different cities, states, and throughout the country, and helps law enforcement solve criminal investigations and apprehend offenders. 

These leads have helped local, state, and federal law enforcement investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes. The State Crime Lab was one of the first sites to use NIBIN in the entire country and is the busiest NIBIN site in North Carolina. 

“This milestone is a testament to how hard our analysts at the Crime Lab work to help law enforcement solve crimes and make our state safer,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “I’m grateful for our team’s hard work, and for the committed partnership of ATF and local law enforcement.” 

“The N.C. State Crime Lab was one of the first NIBIN sites established in the entire country and remains the busiest NIBIN site in the state,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “They’ve clearly set the standard on how this system can be used to fight violent crime and we’re proud to recognize their continued success.” 

Earlier this year, Johnathan Casey Rashad Burgess was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of the murder of a 25-year-old woman in New Hanover County. The State Crime Lab’s Firearms Division conducted ballistic analysis on six 9 mm shell casings and two projectiles and confirmed that the gun that fired the bullets and killed the victim was the same gun that the Wilmington Police Department had located and seized in the defendant’s bedroom. The ATF was also able to confirm that Burgess had purchased the gun earlier. 

North Carolina’s State Crime Lab has locations in Raleigh, Edneyville, and Greensboro. The Lab examines evidence related to criminal investigations free of charge to any North Carolina public law enforcement agency, including local, state, federal, military, and railroad police organizations. 

The Lab tests evidence in seven disciplines: drug chemistry, toxicology, forensic biology, firearms, latent evidence, trace evidence, and digital evidence. In Fiscal Year 24-25, the Lab received 39,638 case records for analysis across all disciplines.  

Photos are available here. 

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