Juneteenth celebration turns deadly as 2 killed, 12 injured in Charlotte
More than 100 shots were fired outside of a block party in North Carolina
As lockdowns are lifted around the country, more and more people are heading out. Sadly, that also means that gun violence is returning to prominence in some places.
READ MORE: NYPD officer in ‘chokehold’ video had prior brutality case
This weekend, an outdoor Juneteenth celebration in Charlotte, North Carolina, was interrupted by the sounds of more than 100 shots being fired. When the shooting ended, two people were dead and 12 were injured.
WBVT reports that the two people killed were Kelly Miller, 29, and Christopher Antonio Gleaton, 28.
“It was a very, very chaotic scene,” police told WBTV. “We’re talking about 400 people in one spot, not one witness, not one.”
Witnesses tell me people were celebrating Juneteenth here on Beatties Ford all weekend. The celebration was happy, peaceful, positive. Some say then they saw drivers doing donuts in the road and driving fast. Shortly after shots went off and people started running. @WBTV_News pic.twitter.com/66SGCMSQ4J
— Anne Marie Hagerty (@AnneMarieWBTV) June 22, 2020
Police say there were multiple shooters in the incident which took place Sunday night around 12:30 a.m. in a location in North Charlotte that they describe as an “unorganized” Juneteenth celebration. Four of the 12 people injured and taken to nearby hospitals were hit by vehicles, reports say.
“Preliminary information gathered during the investigation indicates that several shooters discharged dozens of shots into the crowd who had been gathered in the area,” police said.
READ MORE: Jacob Latimore says ‘The Chi’ season 3 will not have any police characters
A Twitter user posted a video of what he described as the shooting and gunfire can be heard when an EMT vehicle pulls up. (Warning: gunshots, language)
9 ppl shot at Charlotte block party?? pic.twitter.com/1Wj2vCIl85
— Kollege Kidd (@KollegeKidd) June 22, 2020
No arrests have been made. Shootings in Minneapolis and Chicago made this one of the deadliest weekends since most of the U.S. was placed under lockdown orders due to the coronavirus in March. Over 100 people were shot in Chicago over the weekend and a 13-year old and a 3-year old were among the fatalities.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7EqV56xsXcxMaCQhYDdQhc
https://open.spotify.com/episode/71nhtCniY10lItS1qwhmlt
