Kamarhy Sanders-Livingston, 14, died from injuries he sustained after being shot during an incident on Lewiston Avenue on July 14.
Tabius Joseph, Juandriqus Dempsey, and another 15-year-old have been charged with murder in connection with the shooting.
According to court documents, police believe Sanders-Livingston was in a vehicle participating in the shooting at the house on Lewiston Avenue when he was accidentally hit by a fellow shooter.
The documents also state that the 15-year-old suspect informed Sanders-Livingston’s mother that he decided to leave him behind after the shooting.
READ MORE: 1 seriously hurt in northwest Charlotte shooting
A suspect claimed the incident stemmed from a dispute with a juvenile residing at the targeted house, who allegedly shot into the suspect’s grandparents’ house earlier that night. People then went to the house on Lewiston Avenue to retaliate for that shooting.
Police found Sanders-Livingston lying in the street with a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators determined the home on Lewiston Avenue had been shot into approximately six times.
Surveillance footage from the area showed a car turning onto Lewiston Avenue, turning around, and multiple people exiting the vehicle before muzzle flashes were seen as shots were fired at the home.
A stolen gun was later found in the grass at the scene. Court documents also state there is no evidence anyone was inside the home at the time of the shooting. After driving away from the scene, the suspects allegedly crashed their vehicle into a fire hydrant at a nearby apartment complex.
Pastor Wilbur Hood of Will of God Outreach Ministries, located near Lewiston Avenue, spoke about the tragedy. “It’s sad when we see things like this happen, but a lot of these kids don’t have role models in their lives,” Hood said.
He believes the incident highlights a broader need for community support for young people. “We believe that if we can get the children in the church and we can show them that we love them, that we will have an opportunity to be able to reach out to them and get them to a place of hope and peace,” Hood said.
He added that the incident should serve as a wake-up call for the community. “I pray that in the future, after seeing things like this happen in the neighborhood where we are. I just pray that we can get together as a community and take an initiative to try and lead the children in the right way,” Hood elaborated.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has proposed a stricter curfew as a measure to help curb crime.
The department seeks to require all individuals under age 18 to be indoors by 9 p.m. Currently, the curfew is 11 p.m. for individuals ages 13 to 15 and 10 p.m. for anyone under age 12. The full Charlotte City Council is scheduled to vote on the proposed curfew in the coming weeks.
