Seven Homicides in 13 Days of 2017
CHARLOTTE, NC — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are investigating the seventh homicide in 13 days. Four of those are still unsolved as of Friday night.
The latest happened in Northwest Charlotte on Morning Breeze Ln.
It’s Charlotte’s third homicide in less than 27 hours.
“I was lucky that I wasn’t here, me or my family,” said Patricio Ponze.
Ponze watched detectives photograph bullet holes in the side of his home after police say someone shot a man in his neighbor’s yard before 5:00 in the evening.
“If we would have been here, maybe one of the bullets would have hit us,” said Ponze. “We could have been dead by now.”
Police say the victim knew the gunman and say the shooting was drug related.
CMPD held a press conference Friday to address the recent homicides. Deputy Chief Doug Gallant says most of the seven that have occurred so far this year are not random. He says they likely stemmed from domestic violence, robberies or drugs.
The only case he says seems to be random so far is 14-year-old Anothony Frazier’s deadly shooting.
“He is a totally innocent victim,” said Deputy Chief Gallant.
Frazier was the son of a Kannapolis police officer. Police say two suspects shot and killed him Jan. 2
while he was riding in his aunt’s car in Northeast Charlotte.
“When you have a 14-year-old, it is just really concerning to everybody,” said Deputy Chief Gallant.
Investigators say they need more tips from the public. CMPD and the department’s federal partners are offering a $15,000 reward in Frazier’s case. You can receive up to a $5,000 reward in the other three unsolved cases.
CMPD says it’s moving more officers to parts of Charlotte where the recent murders occurred. Officers will focus on suspicious activity, and they will make contact with known offenders in an effort to curb the violence.
Seven Homicides in 13 Days:
Natanael Rodriguez, 22, was found shot to death at an apartment on Monroe Rd.
Shenika Simpson, 37, was found stabbed to death on Vancouver Dr. Police arrested Michael Boone in her case.
Anthony Frazier, 14, shot and killed when police say two suspects jumped from the bushes in his aunt’s yard and shot into her car on Finchley Dr. The bullet hit Frazier and killed him. Police still searching for suspects.
Jabari Stewart found shot to death on Stonefort Ct. Police say that case is robbery related.
Massaquoi Kotay, 45, died Jan. 12. Police say someone killed him inside a convenience store off North Tryon Street in North Charlotte. Police charged Desmond Black with murder and armed robbery.
Milton Graham was stabbed on Blendwood Dr. Police arrested his girlfriend for the murder, Latisha Johnson.
Police have not released the name of the victim shot and killed on Morning Breeze Ln. Friday afternoon. CMPD says someone shot a man in the front yard of a home there just before 4:30 pm.
