School, community mourn 14-year-old fatally shot in Charlotte
A 16-year-old is accused of being the gunman who shot a 14-year-old boy multiple times in a northeast Charlotte residential neighborhood, according to police.
The victim has been identified as Jonathan Miller, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said Thursday.
Jonathan attended Julius L. Chambers High School, according to CharlotteMecklenburg Schools.
“We are heartbroken by this loss of life, and we grieve with Jonathan’s family and friends,” principal Travares Hicks said in a message to families of students at the school.
“In times like these, we must continue to come together and support each other,” Hicks wrote. “Please know that we stand with all of you, and we gain strength by helping one another through this difficult time.”
Jonathan’s death was unrelated to a lockdown that drew police to the school on Thursday, Hicks said.
Investigators say the shooting occurred around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, in woods in the 200 block of Ann Elizabeth Drive. The neighborhood is in the Newell South community, east of North Tryon Street.
“Officers located a male victim with numerous gunshot wounds. This victim was pronounced deceased on the scene,”
CMPD said.
“As a result of the continued investigation, homicide detectives have identified and charged a 16year-old juvenile for first degree murder.”
The suspect’s name is not being released due to his age. He remains in custody at the Stonewall Jackson Detention Facility, CMPD said.
Details of what prompted the shooting — including whether the victim and suspect knew each other — have not been released.
“NO, I DO NOT FEEL SAFE,” NEIGHBOR SAYS
A neighbor told The Charlotte Observer that he heard four or five gunshots.
On Friday morning, police tape still marked the dirt path leading behind mobile homes to the shooting site in dense woods. The path leads to a nearly 7-foot tall hill draped by lush foliage.
Another neighbor said crime has been a problem on Ann Elizabeth Drive, which she and other residents said is largely Hispanic.
She said youth who live elsewhere gather in the woods and play. They enter the woods from North Tryon Street and others from Heathway Drive, which becomes Timberway Drive.
She said neighbors do not believe the boy who was shot lived in the neighborhood.
”No, I do not feel safe (because of the crime),” the woman, a 16-year resident, said, asking that her name not be published.
Other neighbors also asked to remain anonymous over similar concerns for their safety.
Jairo Lopez, a 45-yearold construction worker who lives nearby, said the community is peaceful and quiet during the week and noisier on weekends. He said he’s never experienced crime in 17 years living there. But “the community has changed” as longtime residents moved, he said.
”It’s like my home, it’s my neighborhood. I’m so happy living here,” he said.
Observer reporter Jeff A. Chamer and photographer Jeff Siner contributed to this story.
Mark Price: 704-358-5149, @markprice_obs