Charlotte's Latest Homicide Victim A Familiar Path

By most accounts Charlotte's latest homicide victim's life choices led to the rather tragic but standard outcome. 

According to CMPD Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Homicide Unit are conducting a homicide investigation in the 100 block of Tom Hunter Rd. in the North Tryon Division.

On Thursday, October 3, 2024, shortly before 10:00 p.m., North Tryon Division officers responded to an assault with a deadly weapon with injury call for service in the 100 block of Tom Hunter Rd. Upon arrival, officers discovered a male victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. MEDIC pronounced the victim deceased on scene.

Shortly after, officers received an assault with a deadly weapon with injury call for service in the 6700 block of N. Tryon St. where they located a second victim suffering from a gunshot wound. The juvenile victim was transported by MEDIC with life-threatening injuries.

Just before 11:30 p.m., a third victim arrived at a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Detectives are working to determine the relationship between the three victims.

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 the CMPD’s Operations Command, Victim Services, the Charlotte Fire Department and MEDIC also assisted.

Gunned down on the streets that ruled his life.

Derrick Answon Baker was a street thug arrested more than a dozen times since turning 18, every one of those charges dismissed by the courts and Mecklenburg County DA or resulted in a sentence of time served or probation. 

He was released from the MCSO jail just 2 weeks ago. 

The conviction on any one of those charges a decade prior would have led to an active prison sentence and Baker would likely be alive this morning rather than laid out on a cold metal tray at the medical examiner's office. The only thing differentiating him from the others a toe tag as his only ID.

Proving once again incarceration saves lives.

Baker's arrests include:

Assault on a female (6)

Trespassing (5)

Robbery with a dangerous weapon (2)

Breaking and entering motor vehicle

Possession of a stolen weapon

Possession of a weapon by felon (3)

Possession of a weapon on school property

Common law robbery

Carrying a concealed weapon

PWISD marijuana

Resisting arrest

Probation violation