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CHARLOTTE, NC – A man who fired a rifle outside a business in East Charlotte led to a massive response from CMPD Friday afternoon.
Police blocked off Eastway Drive, nearby businesses were closed, an elementary school went on lockdown, and people were told to stay away.
“Roads are packed up all the way around, and I can’t make it to work,” said Marlene Martinez, an East Charlotte resident.
Police say they thought they were dealing with a possible active shooter scenario, or even a hostage situation, at ther Super Lube on Eastway Drive.
911 started getting calls around 1p.m. Friday afternoon about shots fired. The first officers on the scene found the door to the business locked and didn’t know if anyone was inside.
WCCB saw and heard CMPD’s SWAT team trying to persuade a suspect to come out of the Super Lube.
Meanwhile, more than a dozen SWAT officers with guns drawn, a canine unit, EMS vehicles, fire trucks and more than 30 patrol cars flooded the scene.
“This ain’t New York and this ain’t Philly, this is Charlotte. A city where you can sit on your front porch. That we don’t need!” said Horrice White, an East Charlotte resident.
A helicopter hovered above as people watched from nearby storefronts, with no idea what was happening.
A couple of hours later, officers say they learned an employee fired a rifle in front of the business, but didn’t say why. Just before 4pm, police determined nobody was inside the Super Lube and there were no victims, so they packed up and cleared the scene.
“It’s real crazy because stuff like this, it shouldn’t even happen!” said Ray Robinson, an East Charlotte resident.
As of Friday night, police say the incident is still an ongoing investigation and charges are pending against the employee who police say fired the shots. At this point, the caliber of the rifle used is unknown.
