Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are investigating a Monday afternoon shooting that left one man dead. Police have identified the victim as 23-year-old Palo I. Childress.
It was the city’s second reported homicide in two days.
Early Sunday morning, Stephen Morris Hill, 41, was shot at a Citgo gas station on The Plaza.
The Monday shooting occurred in the 3000 block of Michigan Avenue. Police were called to the scene around noon and found Childress lying in a field, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses told police they heard what they thought were firecrackers Sunday night. Police believe robbery may have been a motive in the shooting.
In the Sunday shooting, police believe Hill was standing in line outside the Citgo store waiting to make a purchase when a man pulled up in a car. Witnesses told police the two began arguing and the suspect shot Hill and drove away.
The suspect was described as a black man who wore a baggy white T-shirt, blue jeans and a white towel around his neck. A black woman wearing a long yellow top was with the suspect at the time of the shooting. Police on Monday released photographs of the suspect taken by a surveillance camera at the store (see below).
Anyone with information about these incidents are asked to call 704-432-8477 or call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
Photo below: This image, taken from a store video camera, shows the suspect in the Hill shooting (face in circle). Police say he arrived in the blue car also shown in the picture.
Photo below: This image, taken from a store video camera, shows the female who police believe was with the suspect in the Hill shooting.
