Coming off a year that was saw more than 100 illegal killings in Charlotte, the city’s homicide detectives have been kept especially busy in recent days.
Within the last week, five people were shot to death, and two others were found dead in a creek bed near McAlpine Creek Park. In addition, a 7-year-old boy was wounded when someone fired a bullet in the home where he was asleep.
Here is a list of those investigations:
Wednesday, March 4: Police were called to the 1200 block of Saratoga Drive in northwest Charlotte to investigate a shooting. There they found a male with a gunshot wound inside an apartment. He was pronounced deceased on scene. Authorities said the victim was 22-year-old Rodarius Meaders. No arrest was announced.
Wednesday, March 4: Police launched a death investigation in the 8700 block of Monroe Road in southeast Charlotte. Across the street from McAlpine Creek Park, a woman’s body had been found lying in a creek bed. As officers were searching the area, a second body was located about 200 yards upstream. Homicide detectives were working with the medical examiner’s office to determine a cause of death. Authorities withheld the victims’ names until family members were notified.
Wednesday, March 4: Police went to a home in the 12500 block of Dervish Lane to investigate a shooting. There they found a 7-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Police said the boy had been asleep in his home when someone fired into the building. The child was being treated for his injury.
Tuesday, March 3: Police were called to McAlpine Creek Park after a man who was out for a walk discovered a body lying in the creek bed. Authorities said the victim was Van Thien Huynh, 55. He had been reported missing on Feb. 29. Detectives determined that Huynh had been shot. That same day, police arrested a 21-year-old man and charged him with murder. Police said the victim and suspect were relatives.
Sunday, March 1: Police were dispatched to investigate a shooting near the intersection of North Crigler Street and Rozzelles Ferry Road in northwest Charlotte. When they arrived, they found evidence of a shooting but no victims. Investigators later learned that two people had been driven to a hospital by private parties. One of the victims, Demarcus Rashawn Mack, later died; the other sustained injuries described as non-life-threatening. On Tuesday, police announced the arrest of two men, ages 27 and 25. Both were charged with murder.
Sunday, March 1: Police responded to reports of a shooting in the 3500 block of Burner Drive, just off Central Avenue in east Charlotte. Once there, officers found two people with gunshot wounds. Both were taken to a hospital, where one of the victims died. Authorities said the victim was Reyno Leocadio Melgar, age 47.
Friday, Feb. 28: Police were called to the 3000 block of Azalea Hills Drive, just north of UNC Charlotte. Once there, they found a man, in front of a residence, with a gunshot wound. He died at a hospital. Authorities identified the victim as Nathaniel Raul Newberry, 30. A 27-year-old man was questioned at the scene and later charged with murder. Police said the suspect and victim knew one another.
