Police say a 7-year-old boy was hospitalized Tuesday afternoon in Charlotte after he was caught in the crossfire of two people shooting at each other.
The child is expected to survive, but police described his injuries as serious.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say they believe two people were shooting at each other in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 400 block of Hilo Drive, near North Tryon Street in the northeastern part of the city, when "at least one" of the rounds went into a nearby apartment and hit the child. The shooting was reported just after 2:30 p.m.
Police say they haven't identified the people who were shooting at each other, but they're asking for anyone with tips to call 704-334-8477.
Last year was one of the city's most violent on record. There were at least 121 homicides reported by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, along with several other violent deaths later ruled justified. Violent crime, in general, was up 16% in 2020 in Charlotte.
In its year-end report, the department identified shots being fired into occupied buildings or vehicles as being a particularly concerning problem. There were 927 such incidents reported — a 47% increase from 2019.
Property crime last year was down by 14%.