CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Late Tuesday night, more than 150 shots were fired into a home on Richard Rozzelle Drive, according to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. As a result, 3-year-old Asiah Figueroa has died and his 4-year-old sister was injured.
In a news conference Wednesday, CMPD said they believe the suspects could be teenage students connected to three Charlotte high schools: Hopewell High School, North Mecklenburg High School, and Chambers (formerly Vance) High School.
WCNC Charlotte asked Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools if the district is concerned about student relations at these schools, if CMS will be doing any outreach efforts, and if knowing students may be involved in these crimes influences their thoughts on bringing in outside organizations to help stop the violence.
CMS Superintendent Earnest Winston issued this statement in response:
Recent acts of violence involving and directed toward students assigned to attend Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools indicate a significant problem in our community. These horrific acts are another terrible reminder of how disruptions in lives have caused pain for many families here, including for many CMS students. Violence resulting in death is a result of that pain.
What is happening can be described as nothing short of a community in crisis. The time is now for us to join together to help address the underlying causes of this violence while at the same time getting guns and violent offenders off the streets. We must do all we can to divert our youth before further incidents result in injury and death, and before they act in ways that derail their futures.
We have reinstituted random screenings in our schools to discourage students from bringing weapons to our facilities and to find weapons before they can cause injury. We are working with community organizations on intervention programs and soon will share specifics.
We encourage everyone to consider how you can contribute to a community that addresses pain and suffering and deescalates the current crisis.