Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are trying to determine who fired shots along a street in uptown Charlotte during the waning hours of the CIAA Basketball Tournament.
The incident was reported at 6:39 p.m. in the 600 block of N. Caldwell Street, where investigators recovered “several dozen” shell casings. Multiple apartment units and vehicles were struck, but no injuries were reported, CMPD said.
The shooting was not related to any CIAA-sanctioned event, a CMPD spokeswoman said in a statement emailed to local media.
This marks the third year in a row that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police have been forced to contend with gun-related violence on the final night of the CIAA tournament.
Last year, three men in town for the CIAA tournament were arrested after they fired dozens of bullets into two vehicles and an uptown hotel and were found in possession of an AK-47.
No one was reported injured in that incident, which happened around 4:40 a.m. on a Sunday near the Hyatt Place hotel. The bullets hit a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van and a red SUV parked behind it in front of the hotel lobby. Two of the three men charged in the case were from Memphis and the third was from Elgin, South Carolina.
In 2015, a woman was shot in the head but not seriously injured at the Label nightclub during tournament weekend. And two people were stabbed at the Oasis Tent on College Street. One man was charged in that stabbing.
Officials estimated that more than 100,000 people visited uptown Charlotte between Tuesday and early Sunday while tournament-related events were underway.
CMPD reported 10 arrests in the center city area between 6 p.m. Friday and 4 a.m. Sunday. They included:
• Traffic Related — 1
• Drug Related — 1
• Disorderly Conduct — 1
• DWI — 2
• Trespass — 1
• Resisting Arrest — 1
• Assault – 3
In a separate incident, police arrested a 37-year-old man on charges that he struck two law enforcement officers with a vehicle while the officers where investigating the possible possession of contraband inside a vehicle. At least one officer fired his service weapon during the encounter.
The incident happened early Sunday, shortly after midnight, near the intersection of N. Caldwell and 6th street.
Police said two officers – a CMPD officer and North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement officer (ALE) – were treated at a hospital for minor injuries.
The suspect, Jerel Manvil Rhoades, was held on multiple charges, including two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer causing serious injury, two counts of felony hit and run, carrying a concealed weapon, driving while impaired, reckless driving, and hit and run.
An ALE officer who fired his weapon was not identified. No CMPD officer fired during the encounter, said a department spokeswoman.
ALE and the State Bureau of Investigation will investigate the officer-involved shooting.
The Charlotte Observer contributed to this report.
