Charlotte-Mecklenburg police on Friday were investigating a fatal shooting in northwest Charlotte that detectives suspect was drug related.
Authorities identified the victim as Thomas Louis Beatty Jr, 52.
The shooting was reported just after 4:30 p.m. in the 5400 block of Morning Breeze Lane. When officers arrived, they found a man with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at Carolinas Medical Center.
Detectives believe the victim and suspect knew one another.
With the 2017 homicide rate well ahead of last year’s pace – Friday’s killing was the seventh in the first 13 days of the new year — CMPD announced that it was moving additional officers to high-crime areas, where they will focus on suspicious activity and known offenders, the department said.
Anyone with information about Friday’s killing is asked to call 704-432-TIPS to speak with a homicide detective or call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
