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GREENSBORO - The city's first homicide happened at 1 a.m. Thursday on Phillips Avenue.

With no witnesses, Octavius Orlando Wilson's shooting death left little to tell police what happened.

According to police, Wilson, 37, was shot in the 2400 block of Phillips Avenue, near the Claremont Courts public housing community. Police found him lying in the street.

He was taken by ambulance to Moses Cone Hospital, where he died.

Detectives were unable to get a suspect description, nor do they know a motive for the shooting, said Capt. Janice Rogers, commander of the criminal investigation division.

"Nobody saw anything," Rogers said.

By 8 a.m., there was no indication of the violence a few hours before. Children lined up for the school bus and people walked about like any other day.

Wilson was released from the Craven Correctional Institute in August after serving an 81/2 year sentence for assaulting a government official with a deadly weapon. He had other convictions, including attempted second-degree kidnapping, hit and run, speeding to elude arrest, breaking and entering and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Rogers said she had no reason to believe the fatal shooting was connected to two other shootings Thursday morning that injured two men.

About 2 a.m., Cedric Hart, 23, was injured in a shooting at 1612 E. Market Street.

According to police, there had been a disagreement at East Market Street Billiards and some people had been asked to leave.

Later, someone shot into the bar, injuring Hart.

He was taken by ambulance to Moses Cone Hospital with injuries that didn't threaten his life.

Hart was not involved in the original disagreement, police said.

Shortly after 6 a.m., police were called to a third shooting at 705 Sparta Drive in the Smith Homes complex.

Robert Woolridge, 27, was taken to Moses Cone Hospital with injuries, police said.

There is no suspect so far.

The first homicide in 2008 was the Jan. 16 strangling death of Regan Bailey.

The year had 25 homicides, nine of which remain unsolved.

Jonathan Newell was arrested June 17 and charged with Bailey's murder.

Anyone with information about these latest crimes should call Crime Stoppers at 373-1000 or police detectives at 373-2255.

Staff writer John Newsom contributed to this report

Contact Sonja Elmquist at 373-7090 or sonja.elmquist@news-record.com