Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police says a four-year-old boy was fatally shot inside a Charlotte townhouse early Wednesday as someone attempted to steal a car outside the home.
Police say they were called just before 6 a.m. Wednesday to townhouse community on Cigar Court, where someone was reportedly trying to steal a car. During the alleged theft, police say shots were fired into the townhouse, fatally striking the boy inside.
Speaking to reporters at the scene Wednesday morning, CMPD May. Ryan Kendall said the shooting appeared to be intentional, and that the family had nothing in the moment to provoke the shooter.
"That's the most frustrating part of this — there is no indication that anyone in the residence discharged any weapons or presented any threat to these suspects whatsoever," Kendall said. "For whatever reason rounds were fired into this residence unprovoked, and this is the result. We now have a deceased child."
Kendall said the suspect or suspects made off with a black Dodge Charger with red break calipers, and police were searching for the stolen vehicle. He declined to say how many rounds were fired into the townhouse, saying police were still collecting evidence.
He also said police were trying to fathom why the shooting took place, and called the boy's death "absolutely tragic."
"There's no good reason why anyone would discharge a weapon into an occupied residence as a result of trying to take a car. It just doesn't make any sense," Kendall said. "We talk about the death of a child that should be getting up and going to school right now, that was not responsible in any way for the circumstances unfolding. This is absolutely frustrating and infuriating."
Kendall declined to identify the child, and called on the public to help police with the investigation.
"Somebody out there watching me knows who's responsible for this — knows the identify of these suspects," he said, "And these people need to be help accountable for this incident."