Another Uptown Shooting You Won't Hear About

A mass shooting in Uptown Charlotte is apparently no longer considered news. But the local paper, or what's left of it managed to comb through police reports and discovered that "no one was killed". 

Five people, two hospitalized but little detailed information beyond that it happened Saturday night. Not a word from local television news. 

he copy of the local paper story is below. The best part is the photo of the CMPD parked vintage Crown Vic in front of the 7/11.

Oh well on to other news.

An argument near Romare Bearden Park on Saturday resulted in three people shot and a stray bullet going through an uptown 7-Eleven window where workers were inside, according to CMPD reports. 

No one was killed. 

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police charged a teen in the shooting, which happened about 10:46 p.m. at 255 W. Martin Luther King Blvd. Five people were listed as victims in a police report. 

Two women, ages 49 and 22, were hospitalized, the report said. Three men, 42, 43, and 24 were also listed as victims. 

On Tuesday, the store window remained boarded up, and a CMPD car sat outside. 

Kristiana Lazarevic, who has been living in the area for about three years, was home when the shooting occurred, but said she didn’t hear or see anything. 

By the time she noticed what happened, the police were outside, she said. “I don’t know if it’s because of the bars or what attracts people to this area … but I’ve noticed that in this area, it’s gotten worse in recent months,” she said. 

Teenagers and their parents were charged in a July Fourth brawl in 2023 in that area of uptown, and five people were shot and wounded at Romare Bearden Park on New Year’s Eve, prompting concerns from business owners and more focus on uptown safety from police and city leaders. 

Lazarevic said she likes her uptown apartment and has no plans to move, but would if things became too unsafe. 

Hadiyah Omar, who moved into an apartment near Romare Bearden Park a year ago, said she’s thinking about moving after her lease ends. 

She wasn’t home when the shooting occurred, she said, and she wasn’t aware of it until Tuesday, but said it was “unnecessary.” She doesn’t feel unsafe, she said, but it is one of the reasons — the other being vagrancy just outside of her apartment — she’s thinking about moving somewhere else in the city. 

Maurice Worthy, who heard about the shooting the day after when he saw the damaged window at the 7-Eleven, said it was surprising. He said he’s never felt unsafe uptown. “There’s a lot of chaos going on in the world,” Worthy said. “And everyone just needs to calm down.”

OIS (Officer Involved Shooting) In Da Creek (Steele Creek)

It's had been a remarkably quiet weekend around the Queen City.  

That changed quickly on around 7:25 p.m. Sunday when officers responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call for service. 3 minutes later CMPD's "Real Time Crime Center" spotted the suspect vehicle. 

CMPD officers initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle in the 200 block of East Arrowood Road when the suspect produced a handgun causing an exchange of gunfire. 

At 7:30 p.m. the shots fired officer down call was made.

According to CMPD one officer was struck and transported to the hospital with serious injuries. As a precaution, a second officer was taken to an area hospital as well.

The suspect was also transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. 

(We wish both officers a speedy and full recovery.)

CMPD added that a firearm was recovered at the scene.

Steele Creek is CMPD's largest division at more the 70 square miles, it is larger that most of the cities in the in the Carolinas. Everyone who rolls in "Da Creek" knows the problem is too many people in too small of a space.

Apartments on top of apartments. A demographic mix the rivals New Orleans but one that is disproportionate to most of Charlotte. Steele Creek by many metrics is more hood than "Metro" or the once infamous "West Over".

The "Wedge" that area bounded by I-77 and I-485 of Steele Creek 2 has seen four homicides in the last five months. 

100 Block of Kingsford Drive May 27th

1600 Block Sharon Road West June 21st

600 Block Silverleaf Road September 10th

800 Block Farmhurst Drive June 13th

The mental geniuses of local media never fail to ask thoughtful questions:

"When asked about which person shot first, DC Robinson said an investigation will determine that, but talked about the quick decisions officers have to make". WBTV News.

For some reason crime finds its way to Arrowood with more than 500 crimes reported in the last six months. The 200 block of Arrowood has more than 50 crimes reported in the last two years alone, make that 51.

Cedar Update:

On Tuesday, September 24, 2024, the suspect in this case, Nelson Javier Funez Reyes, 37, was pronounced deceased at a local hospital. According to sources Reyes is an illegal alien with a long criminal record. 

Man Who Shot 2 Year Old Arrested

19-year-old Demetrick McDonald has been arrested in connection with a shooting at a west Charlotte apartment complex that seriously injured a 2-year-old over the weekend.

According to police the shooting at the Evoke Living at Westerly Hills apartment complex happened around 2 a.m. on Sunday.

Photo Courtesy MCSO

Officers say that McDonald opened fire from a parking lot on Evoke Living Lane, just off Wilkinson Boulevard in west Charlotte hitting multiple apartments. 

The 2-year-old was taken to the hospital after being shot in the stomach. As of Wednesday evening, the child was still hospitalized. 

A second shooting happened at the same complex just after 4 a.m. Tuesday. 

Detectives with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said no one was hit in the second shooting. Multiple bullet holes were visible in the siding of one of the buildings. 

On Thursday, CMPD announced that 19-year-old Demetrick McDonald was arrested in connection with the first shooting. He was arrested on Wednesday and charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and 20 counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling. 

Of course this is not McDonald's first rodeo. MCSO records show four mugshots of McDonald since he turned 18 last year.

Photos from MCSO

MCSO does not publish arrests of juveniles under the age of 18.

McDonald was on probation out of Gaston County on a weapons charge and arrest that occurred on January 2, 2024. He was given a suspended sentence with community service and 12 months probation on March 4, 2024.

                                             

Gaston County Sheriff's Office

But according to Gaston County Sheriff's McDonald was arrested on several charges including drugs, weapons and no drivers license. Those charges were apparently dismissed for a guilty plea to the midsomer unlawful conceal carry weapon charge.

McDonald's September 27, 2023 arrest for possession of a stolen motor vehicle and resisting arrest charges in Charlotte are still pending. His cash bond for those crimes was less than $500.00.

Those charges where later upgraded to include the theft of the motor vehicle that he was in possession of on September 27.

McDonald is currently being held in the Mecklenburg County jail without bail.

Anyone with information is asked to call Charlotte Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. 

The Lynching of Javion Magee

You have to give the mainstream media credit they tried hard not to make the jump to racism and lynching for about 24 hours, but here were are.

A week ago in Henderson, North Carolina about 200 miles northeast of Charlotte, just a little past Raleigh on I-85 a young black man was found dead. But Javion Magee wasn't just ordinary dead he was by some accounts lynching dead.

Southern trees bear a strange fruit

Blood on the leaves and blood at the root

Black bodies swingin' in the Southern breese

Strange fruit hangin' from the poplar trees 

Pastoral scene of the gallant 

South The bulgin' eyes and the twisted mouth 

Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh 

Then the sudden smell of burnin' flesh 

Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck 

For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck 

For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop 

Here is a strange and bitter crop  

This famous anti-lynching poem was written by Abel Meeropol, a teacher, songwriter, and member of the American Communist Party. 

His inspiration for the poem was this photo of the hanging bodies of J. Thomas Shipp and Abraham S. Smith.

Smith age 19 and Shipp age 18 were young African-American men who were murdered in a spectacle lynching by a group of thousands on August 7, 1930, in Marion, Indiana. 

They were taken from jail cells, beaten, and hanged from a tree in the county courthouse square. They had been arrested that night as suspects in a robbery, murder and rape case. A third African-American suspect, 16-year-old James Cameron, had also been arrested and narrowly escaped being killed by the mob; an unknown woman and a local sports hero intervened, and he was returned to jail. Cameron later stated that Shipp and Smith had committed the murder..

The poem was published in a union publication in 1937 and then set it to music. It was most famously performed by Billy Holiday, who first sang “Strange Fruit” in 1939. 

But even in 1939 twisting the facts to suit your agenda was not new. Meeropol saw the photo but changed the venue 500 miles south to fit the narrative and the Jim Crow era.

Afterall Poplar and Magnolia trees don't grow in Indiana but even in 1939 the facts didn't matter.

JAVION MAGEE

Now 94 years after the hanging of Smith and Shipp a black man found by a tree is automatically a lynching.

The Vance County North Carolina Sheriff’s Office released their findings shortly after meeting with Javion Magee’s family members and their attorneys on Wednesday, around the same time the family attended a press conference.

The below timeline and investigative findings show the journey of Magee, a 21-year-old truck driver, who left Pennsylvania for a delivery to North Carolina before being found dead the next morning in Vance County.

INVESTIGATIVE FINDINGS

Pathologists with the North Carolina Chief Medical Examiner’s Office have conducted an autopsy. Preliminary findings from that autopsy show Magee “did not have any defensive wounds and there were no signs of physical or sexual assault.” Further findings of the autopsy are pending a toxicology report.

Investigators found that the rope was “wrapped around his neck a total of 11 times and the other end of the rope was wrapped around a tree branch. The rope was tight.”

Further, a cardboard wrapper for the blue rope was found lying next to Magee with the “Ozark Trail” brand on it, which is sold at Walmart.

To get a more complete picture of what happened before his death, investigators said they are now submitting search warrants to access Magee’s phone.

TIMELINE

The following timeline was compiled using 911 calls, witness statements and the GPS on Magee’s commercial vehicle he was operating for his job as a truck driver.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2024

~1 a.m. — Javion Magee leaves Hazelton, Pennsylvania after picking up a load of goods to deliver to the Walmart Distribution Center in Henderson, N.C.

6:50 a.m. — Truck makes a stop at a truck stop on Highway 207, 12 miles North of Ashland, VA for approximately one hour.

7:50 a.m. — Truck leaves the truck stop and travels on Highway 1 South, making its way toward N.C.

8:50 a.m. — Truck continues onto I-85 South in Petersburg, Virginia, traveling south into North Carolina.

10:04 a.m. — Truck enters Vance County and travels to Chex Truck Stop in Middleburg. Surveillance video shows Magee walking into the truck stop alone, using the restroom and getting food. Magee is seen walking back to his truck and getting in his truck alone.

12:21 p.m. — Truck leaves Chex Truck Stop traveling south on I-85 into Henderson.

12:37 p.m. — Truck arrives at the Walmart Distribution Center in Henderson and the contents are unloaded.

4:53 p.m. — Truck leaves the Walmart Distribution Center. Within five minutes, GPS shows the truck is idling in a dirt parking area in front of 285 Vanco Mill Road in Henderson. This is approximately ½ mile from the Walmart Distribution Center.

5:44 p.m. — Truck travels northwest on West Andrews Avenue.

5:49 p.m. — Truck pulls onto Young Street and is idling.

5:53 p.m. — Truck goes to a parking lot at the corner of West Andrews Ave. and Vance Street.

At this time, the sheriff’s office said Magee exited the truck and walked to a local smoke shop at 422 East Andrews Avenue to purchase tobacco products. Surveillance footage shows Magee is alone while purchasing something at the store.

~6:01 p.m. — Truck leaves the area, traveling west on Andrews Ave. to the intersection of I-85 and merges onto I-85 south.

6:11 p.m. — Truck travels to the Walmart Supercenter located on N. Cooper Drive in Henderson.

At this time, the sheriff’s office said Magee is seen on surveillance footage from at least five cameras walking into the store, purchasing a blue in color Ozark Trail rope, and exiting the store— again, while alone.

Magee was wearing a white t-shirt, black shorts, white socks, and dark-colored crocs. While exiting the Walmart, he is seen leaving the store with the blue rope in his hand.

6:22 p.m. — Magee returns to his truck to leave the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter.

While leaving, the sheriff’s office said Magee was seen stopping and exiting his truck. He gave $228 in cash to a homeless person sitting at the entrance. Investigators found and interviewed this person. He allegedly told this person, “I don’t know how much it is, but if I had more I would give it to you.”

6:28 p.m. — Magee pulls into the Hampton Inn Hotel located on Ruin Creek Road and parks around the back of the building. Surveillance footage from the hotel shows Magee walking from the back of the hotel to the front wearing the same clothing and carrying a black backpack.

6:32 p.m. — Magee speaks to the hotel clerk and exits the hotel at 6:34 p.m., walking towards the back of the hotel.

6:35 p.m. — Truck is turned on and is seen on video surveillance leaving the hotel parking lot and making a right turn onto Ruin Creek Road.

6:45 p.m. — Truck approaches the intersection of Andrews Ave and US-1 Highway.

6:50 p.m. — Truck exits US-1 Highway onto Vanco Mill Road.

6:52 p.m. — Truck pulls back onto the dirt lot at 285 Vanco Mill Road and the ignition is turned off.

The sheriff’s office said surveillance footage from the area shows Magee exiting the driver’s side of the truck and walks “alone towards the wood line on the eastern side of the dirt lot” with an object in his hand.

Magee walks around a trailer and to the front gate of a tractor and truck repair shop before walking back to the wood line of the lot, investigators said.

7 p.m. — Surveillance video shows Magee re-enter the truck and the GPS shows the truck ignition is turned on. From the video, it does not appear Mr. Magee has anything in his hand at the time he re-enters the truck.

7:28 p.m. — Truck is still in an idling state.

7:30 p.m. — Ignition is turned off for a final time.

Investigators said Magee is seen on video walking away from the truck towards the trees, alone, and he does not return.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2024

10:08 A.M. — Vance County 911 received a call from the owner of the repair shop, reporting a man with a rope around his neck on the outside of the fence at 285 Vanco Mill Road.

The 911 caller stated that the male was not breathing and appeared to have died by suicide.

The investigation began shortly after Vance County EMS, Bearpond Fire Department and Vance County Sheriff’s Office officials responded to the scene.

CEDAR'S TAKE

The unfortunate death of Javion Magee has been turned into a national spectacle of embarrassing proportions. The family has undoubtedly been contacted by race baiters Benjamin Crump and Al Sharpton already.

. 

It is only a matter of time before Donald Trump and Maga "extremists" are blamed for his lynching.

The common leap to the conclusion of something sinister is so automatic that a rope and tree is always the KKK, the White Supremacists, and Lynching. Even more so if that rope and tree are in the south.

Never mind that being on the road is lonely, isolating and unfriendly life. That four years into the Harris/Biden administration we are all struggling financially.  Never mind that Bidenomics is not working and than even a young man with a CDL,18 wheels and 500 horsepower can inexplicitly feel that life sucks and that there is only one alternative. 

And yet rather than working to avoid sure tragic outcomes, the media and race baiters persist.

Don't be like Sharpton, Crump and Kamala Harris check on your family and friends,even coworkers today.

Peace y'all CP  

Harris / Biden Immigrants You Haven't Heard About Yet!

While most of the attention on immigration is focused on Texas, Arizona and New Mexico there is something even more sinister at work thanks to the Harris / Biden administration. 

There is of course the well documented influx of illegals scurrying across our unprotected southern border and then on to sanctuary cities. 

This run on the border was prompted by Harris / Biden immigration policies and lack of enforcement of our immigration laws. On day one of the Harris / Biden administration the president removed every immigration policy that Donald Trump had in place. They removed every directive from the construction of the border wall to remain in place orders for asylum seekers. 

The removal of these laws has allowed 20 million illegal immigrants to unlawfully enter our nation and those are just estimates that are likely vastly understated.

At the same time the Harris /Biden administration has been quietly allowing unvetted Haitian "refugees" by the thousands to enter the US legally by simply signing a prefilled form and boarding a nondescript plane to be relocated from the impoverished island nation of their birth.

The effort has forced small towns across the United States to accept these Haitian refugees by the thousands. 

Springfield, Ohio only made the news because of the bizarre and grotesque practice of eating domesticated dogs, cats and waterfowl that Haitian culture views as normal acceptable behavior. 

But Springfield is just one of 30 small US towns that Harris / Biden wants to "repopulate" with Haitian immigrants. 

Portland Maine is about as opposite from the Caribbean as you can get with seven months of the year seeing winter (October-May) so much so that it seems cruel to relocate people who have only known an average temperature of 78 degrees year round. 

But Maine is just the start after all there are 11 million people living in impoverished Haiti. 

North Carolina has about 11,000 and Alabama has about 3,000. But that will change if the Harris / Biden administration get their way.

As expected not everyone is happy about the sudden influx of immigrants. 

More About Alabama

A Sylacauga Alabama, City Council meeting was cut short after only 20 minutes last Thursday following questions from several residents about recent Haitian immigration to the area.

Council President Tiffany Nix brought the meeting to a close after several residents asked questions about how the city knew workers coming there were legal immigrants, who had determined this, and what effect they were having on crime and housing.

After three residents asked questions during the meeting, Nix brought it to a close. “I’m going to cut it off,” she said.

One resident, saying she was concerned, asked “who is heading up watching over this situation?”

Councilman Ashton Fowler said the first he was aware of immigrants in Sylacauga was when he saw them at church. He knows people are concerned, but immigrants can’t be watched as though they have committed a criminal act.

“We found out when everybody found out,” Fowler said.

“The first time I saw them, they came in our church. They wanted to come to Sunday School and church with us. That’s the first time I knew they were in town, and then there was three, then six, then eight. The ones at church with me are great people. They wanted to come to church, haven’t asked for a thing, worship and go home.”

Another resident asked why council members had not attempted to learn where immigrant workers are coming from on buses. Nix asked if anyone had actually seen anyone bused into town. From a video of the meeting, it did not appear anyone said they had.

“I also went by where they’re living, some of them, and they’re just sitting around there, not working,” the resident asked. “They supposedly came here to work.” Someone pointed out people work night shifts.

“I want to welcome anyone to Sylacauga that wants to come to Sylacauga,” Nix said. “If you’re here stimulating our economy, thank you. That’s how I feel about it. If people aren’t breaking the law, they’re not causing any problems, I don’t...I don’t see what the issue is.”

Another resident said, “the attitude of the council throughout this process is entirely unacceptable.”

Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville slams Mayorkas for Haitian refugee program: ‘American lives and property are at risk’

“Do we know where the individuals we’re discussing are coming from?” he asked. “Where their point of origin is? Because you’re treating them like lawful U.S. citizens, which they are not.”

Nix jumped in at that point. “OK, so I’m going to cut it off...again, we have no reason to launch an investigation or to treat people differently because of how they look.”

“These individuals came here from Haiti,” the man said. “Haiti is a failed state. Their president was assassinated in 2021. There’s no way the State Department can vet these individuals...”

See also: Haitian immigrants fleeing unrest and facing exploitation find ‘Alabama is the best place to live’

Immigrant workers have been a contentious issue in two Alabama communities this summer, with city officials in Albertville and Athens facing questions, such as the effect on crime, school overcrowding and housing.

In August, photos of Haitian immigrants in Albertville being bused to and from work at a poultry processing plant prompted questions on social media, leading to what city officials called “baseless accusations, and hurtful rhetoric.” 

This led to a series of community meetings and the formation of a non-profit.

Officials in both Albertville and Athens say Haitian immigrants make up a small percentage of the population, and they have seen no increase in crime since larger amounts of immigrants began arriving this year following unrest on the Caribbean island.

On Aug. 26, Sylacauga Mayor Jim Heigl released a statement saying that the city is not a “sanctuary” city and does not have any plans to “pursue that option in the future.”

“As many of you know, current Sylacauga housing would not accommodate large influxes of population whether they are immigrant or citizens,” the statement read. “Year-to-year we struggle to accommodate new teachers and the general influx of local workers to house in Sylacauga, any additional increases in population would make those accommodations even difficult to attain.”

The statement continued, “As with most tightknit small towns, new faces out among our stores and restaurants are easily identifiable. Sylacauga has recently had an influx of legal immigrants come into the area. Employment was the primary draw for these individuals when obtaining their visas for legal immigration to the area. As you go about your regular routines of living in Sylacauga, please be sure to extend our small town hospitality to these new faces.”

Cedar's Take:

Forgive the long rant. Liberals want to remake our nation into some virtue signaling utopia. Just read Sylacauga Mayor's statement above. Haitians are by and large kind and considerate. However there is a reason that island of Hispaniola has a border wall that divides the island in half. Haiti on one side and Dominican Republic on the other. 

Haitians are savages and the only way the country maintains law and order is by brutal gangs and violence.

The Murder of Savion Lockhart

On July 13, 2023 South Meck High School Student 7 year old Savion Lockhart took two in the chest. 

His "friends" drove him to the emergency entrance of Atrium University Hospital and left him crumpled and bleeding in from of the automatic doors before fleeing the hospital.

Lockhart was dead in 30 minutes. 

Savion Rashaad Lockhart, age 17

Jerry Duncan was a mentor of Lockhart's with RISE 2 Impact a Black centric organization that endeavors to keep Black youth out of prison and the cemetery. Duncan was also one of  Lockhart's teachers at South Mecklenburg High School.

Rise 2 Impact mission statement: Young boys of color in our school, community, and nation are experiencing issues that lead to decreased success in school. RISE 2 IMPACT addresses persistent opportunity gaps faced by African American male students to ensure all young people can reach their full potential. This happens through the cultivation of intentional experiences and opportunities that inspire and challenge our young men to see themselves as commodities and not burdens to society as they are so often portrayed.

Duncan's went on to say this about Lockhart:

He didn’t live that life. He was just real wholesome. He was a son. He loved his mom. You know he loved his family. He was a very good kid, and everybody that was around him in my class, they liked him. They had a really good relationship with him. I could talk all day and not say a bad word about Savion Lockhart. So I want him to be remembered for the life that he lived and not the tragic way he died,” 

A few days later CMPD Officers charged two suspects, 19-year-old Reginald Marsaeus Moses and a (not named because of his age) 17-year-old, in connection with the case. 

Moses had been shot during the incident was also taken to Atrium hospital. According to police Moses who had been shot in the buttocks had injuries that were not considered life threatening. 

Reggie Moses Photo Courtesy MCSO

At the time of his arrest for the murder of Lockhart, Moses was out on bond for resisting arrest on March 22, 2023 and had been released after 2 days in jail on an unsecured bond. 

Additionally he had been arrested on June 11, 2023 and held until June 15, 2023 on possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, carrying a concealed weapon, attempted larceny. He was released on a reduced bail of $15,000.00, which allowed him to walk out of jail on less than a $500 cash bail.

He was held on the murder charge from July 13, until a few days before Christmas 2023 when the murder charges were dismissed.

The Mecklenburg County DA's recap of the case and reasoning for the dismissal follows below.

Since his arrest and dismissal of the murder charge Moses has been charged with a dozen other crimes including a February 20, 2024 B&E at Carolina Sporting Arms in Steele Creek.

His arrest included 20 counts of larceny of a firearm. Additionally he has been charged with larceny of a motor vehicle and possession of a stolen vehicle. 

This case and the other priors are still pending. It also seems those arrest warrants remain unserved at least there is no record of such with the MCSO.

But they are so disorganized anything is possible.

Cedar's Take: The system is clearly broken. Reginald Moses is a threat to society and should not be out on bail. Had he been in jail perhaps Savion Lockhart would be attending NC State this week. 

PERIOD!

Mecklenburg District Attorney's Statement of Fact regarding the dismissal request:

There is insufficient evidence to successfully prosecute in this case. The evidence is unclear at this point as to which individuals were engaged in the felony of Robbery with Dangerous Weapon, and which individuals were acting in lawful self-defense during the robbery.

The evidence in the case tends to show the following:

On July 8, 2023, around 6:45 p.m. on Turtle Point Road in the University area, two sets of people met up to hang out and go uptown for the night. However, one side of the group showed up to rob the other side, though it is unclear what the robbery was over and which side shot first.

The meetup was at a dead-end near where Defendant Meadows and Defendant Moses lived. The other side, which consisted of Jeremiah "Walk" Farris, Lary "Trap" Burton, Evan "EBK" Tolson, and the victim Savion Lockhart, arrived in a black Volkswagen Jetta.

The group apparently discussed seating arrangements and were confused as to how six people could fit in five seats in order to go uptown.

At some point, several individuals brandished firearms. There were at least two guns involved, and a minimum of nine shots fired.

Defendant Moses was struck in the buttocks. Victim Saivon Lockhart was shot in his right chest and left abdominal. Numerous other houses and cars were fired into as well.

Victim Lockhart and his three friends all got back into the Volkswagen. Lockhart was then driven to Atrium University hospital where his friends are seen on camera using their shirts to cover up their faces in an attempt to hide their identity while dropping the victim off.

They left Lockhart at the ER entrance, and then drove off, refusing to stay and speak with law enforcement. Lockhart died of his wounds at the hospital.

Defendant Moses ran back to his house after the shots were fired, where Teachell Mays drove him and Defendant Meadows to the same hospital. Defendant Moses was interviewed at the hospital where he told Detectives, “somebody tried to rob us and they shootin us."

"I don't know them. I just know we were supposed to be getting ride to some females." He denied this being a gun or drug deal, and also denied that he or Defendant Meadows had a gun.

Defendant Meadows was outside the hospital when law enforcement arrived and was asked by a patrol officer what happened. He provided a different version of events and told the officer he was in the house with his sister Teachell Mays when he heard a bunch of shots go off and then Defendant Moses came in wounded. They drove him to the hospital, and he doesn't know what happened.

The next day detectives went to Defendant Meadows home to speak with him after they realized he was in fact at the shooting incident. Defendant Meadows again denied being there and stuck with the same story. Detectives said they've heard otherwise, but Defendant Meadows stated he was being honest and had no reason to lie.

Detectives were also able to locate the occupants of the Volkswagen. Larry Burton was on an electronic monitoring band at the time and was shown at the shooting location, and then going to nearby house located at 3818 Yorkford Drive.

When Officers arrived at that residence they located the same black Volkswagen seen on hospital cameras, sitting in the driveway. They knocked and spoke to two occupants of the home, Jeremiah Farris and Evanolson. Lary Burton was found down the street at local business. All three agreed to go to the law enforcement center and give statement.

Jeremiah Farris repeatedly denied that he had any involvement in the shooting and claimed not to be present. When confronted with the evidence that indicated otherwise, he finally admitted that he was present, but claimed to have no recollection of what occurred, who shot, or why they shot.

Lary Burton was reluctant at first to provide details on what occurred, but ultimately stated that the defendants, whose names he did not know, nor could he identify in photo lineup, pulled out the guns first and tried to snatch their property. When asked what property, Mr. Burton admitted that it was a firearm.

Evan Tolson corroborated in large part what Mr. Burton stated.

The defendants were arrested five days after the homicide, on July 13, 2023. Both Defendants were found at their home near the homicide location. Inside the home detectives found over pounds of marijuana, over $12,000 dollars in cash, money counting machine, personal property belonging to victim in separate theft case, an assault rifle, pistols (some having "switches" attached making them fully automatic), ammunition, magazines, and seven iPhones. Several of the firearms were reported stolen and there were suspected stolen vehicle items in the house as well.

The seven iPhones were scattered throughout the house and all in hidden locations. Several firearms were hidden in a bag in the attic, and one was found under Defendant Moses' pillow. All the firearms were tested, but none came back as a match to the nine discharged cartridge cases at the scene of the homicide.

Absent some relevance to the homicide, this evidence would be inadmissible at trial.

Defendant Moses was interviewed and changed his story. He went into detail about how he was robbed but continued to deny that he or Defendant Meadows had a gun. Well into the interview, after being confronted with his inconsistencies, he finally admitted that he had a gun and that he shot the victim in self-defense. He claimed he did not know what happened to the gun he used and claimed that all the guns at the house were not his, but they're also not anyone else's in the house.

Defendant Meadows changed his story during his post-arrest interview as well. He now indicated that he was at the shooting, and not in his house like had he said.

He said he at no point had gun, and he never saw Defendant Moses with gun. He claims only the victim's side had guns.

All cellphones seized during the investigation were searched and nothing in any of them shed light on what occurred that day. Furthermore, CMPD detectives reviewed social media accounts, collected home security footage in the area, requested fingerprint analysis, and requested DNA analysis, all of which were of minimal value to the investigation.

In North Carolina, the law of self-defense and defense of another provides that defendant is not guilty of any homicide if (1) the defendant reasonably felt that that he needed to kill the decedent to protect himself or another from death or great bodily harm, (2) the defendant was not the aggressor in bringing on the situation, and (3) the defendant did not use excessive force.

To prevail at trial in case where self-defense is asserted, the State must convince all twelve jurors, beyond reasonable doubt, that the defendant did not act in self-defense or defense of another. The law imposes no burden of proof on the defendant. In this case, the available evidence does not indicate which individuals were entitled to self-defense, and which individuals were not, and the State cannot disprove self-defense beyond reasonable doubt.

Therefore, the State must dismiss the charges against Reginald Marsaeus Moses.

Charlotte Homicide No. 75

Charloot’s latest homicide vic has been identified as Franklin Rodriguez-Alfaro, 23

Charlotte, N.C. – (Thursday, September 12, 2024) – Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Homicide Unit are conducting a homicide investigation in the 1000 block of Timber Lake Drive in the Hickory Grove Division.

On Thursday, September 12, shortly before 10:30 p.m., officers responded to a shots fired call for service in the 1000 block of Timber Lake Drive. Upon arrival, officers discovered a male victim with multiple gunshot wounds and pronounced the victim deceased on scene.

Homicide Unit detectives responded to the scene to conduct an investigation, and Crime Scene Search responded to process the scene and collect physical evidence. Representatives from CMPD’s Operations Command, Victim Services, CFD and MEDIC also assisted.

Rodriguez-Alfaro had more than 50 weapons and robbery charges pending at this time last year. According to sources those cases were dismissed by the Mecklenburg County DA Spencer Merriweather.

Unfortunately he had been released from jail on a reduced bond a year ago.

Just a reminder that incarceration saves lives!

Another Teen Homicide Victim Anthony Smith, Age 15

On September 4, 2024, the family of Anthony Smith, age 15, reported him missing. The CMPD’s Missing Persons Unit began an exhaustive search for Anthony Smith. 

Anthony Smith Age 15

On September 10, 2024, the Missing Persons Unit responded to the 600 block of Silverleaf Road in the Steele Creek Division as part of the investigation, where they located human remains. CMPD’s Homicide Unit responded to investigate, and the remains were transported to the North Carolina Medical Examiner’s Office. 

On September 11, 2024, the remains were positively identified as those belonging to Anthony Smith.  The N.C. Medical Examiner’s Office determined Anthony Smith died from a gunshot wound and ruled his death a homicide.23rd murder victim under the age of 20 shot to death in the last 12 months.

The sad list of other victims under 20:

Aryan Jaswal, age 17

Savion Rashaad Lockhart, age 17

(19-year-old Reginald Marsaeus Moses and an unnamed 17-year-old were charged with his murder those charges were later dropped by the Mecklenburg District Attorney's Office.)

Caleb Thompson, age 18

J’Karri Anderson, age 19

Quaveon Jeremiah Robinson, age 19

Lawahon Dwight Hutchinson, age 19

Johnie McClendon, age 14

Jah’Zir Elijah Jackson, age 18

Lonnie Mcconico Jr, age 18

Tzion Dae, age 16

Amir Kidd, age 15

Avyon Thomas, age 17

Daikwan Jedarren Deese, age 17

Melakah Corbette, age 17

Carter Jimenez, age 3

Jorden Anthony Wood, age 17

Fate Brannon, age 17

Kaleb L. Brown, age 17

Jonathan Miller, age 14

Belian Garcia Mejia, age 18

Marquez Alexander Summers, age 19

Rashaka Prince, age 18

Anthony Smith,  Age 15

Jaiden De’Shon "Tank" Harris, age 16

Chauncory Farmer, age 19

9/11 H & L 118

There are 100s of iconic photos from 9/11 but this one remains forever as the image that haunts me. 

Ladder Company 118 crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. As these six courageous firefighters navigated their truck across the Brooklyn Bridge, they did not know that they were en route to what would become the most infamous tragedy in American history. 

The final sighting of these heros was as they ascended a staircase in the Marriott Hotel near the World Trade Center, endeavoring to find survivors amid the terrorist attacks on September 11. 

Less than an hour following this moment, the South Tower fell, severing the 22-story Marriott in half and claiming the lives of firefighters; Vernon Cherry, Leon Smith, Joey Agnello, Robert Regan, Pete Vega, and Scott Davidson.

The photo Aaron McLamb took of Ladder 118 racing toward the Twin Towers.

Footnote: Scott Davidson is the father of actor comedian and SNL alumni Pete Davidson. 

Cedar Bonus:

In my desk drawer there is a fax I received on September 14, 2001. It details one man's escape from ground zero and that same Marriott hotel on this September 11th morning. A morning much like today. 

The fact that  I won't, maybe can't discard it, is perhaps one of those indications that now more than two decades later I've still not recovered. 

9/11 September 11, 2001 One Man's Story