Police have not charged anyone yet in the shooting of an 8-year-old girl at a home near West Charlotte High School April 24. They’ve now raised the reward for information leading to an arrest.
Eight-year-old Olivia Velez was sleeping at her home on Burbank Drive in the early morning hours when the shooting happened. There were eight other children and seven adults in the home. Charlotte Mecklenburg Police say “multiple people” shot dozens of rounds at the home.
One of those bullets hit Velez in the head.
Captain Matthew Horner said police have received tips, but nothing substantial enough to allow them to identify someone to charge and arrest.
CMPD is requesting the public's assistance in identifying suspects in an assault with a deadly weapon investigation. 8-year-old Olivia Velez remains hospitalized after being struck by a bullet fired into a home in the 2800 block of Burbank Drive on April 24. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/sL4yAja14w
— CMPD News (@CMPD) May 3, 2023
The reward has now been raised to $7,500.
“We’re talking about a serious amount of reward money, but even more important than that we’re talking about an 8-year-old girl who’s still in the hospital – and the people responsible for her shooting are not in jail,” Horner said.
Velez is recovering, but Horner says, she has serious injuries and it’s not clear what her quality of life will be like.
Anyone who knows something is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
Police have not said what they think led to the shooting.
