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No Suspects, No Motives In Beatties Ford Road Shooting Leaving Families And Police Frustrated

Beatties Ford Road 06/22/20
Michael Falero
/
WFAE

Police are still searching for a motive and suspects connected to a mass shooting that occurred on Beatties Ford Road a little over two weeks ago. The shooting happened at a block party at the end of a weekend that started with Juneteenth celebrations.

During a press conference Tuesday, Kenneth Stevenson, the father of Dairyon Stevenson, said the grief he feels for his son’s death is overwhelming. He said the outcome could have been different if there had been a bigger police presence that night.

"Even with police presence it might have been the case where whoever done what they done saw the police officers around, they might not have done it," Stevenson said.

Charles Billings, the father of Jamaa Cassell, agreed. He also said people need to come forward and tell police what they witnessed. Then the families can start to heal.

"When you lose your only son or child — period — it hurts so bad. It's deeper than the bottom of the sea," Billings said.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said it recovered handguns and assault rifles from the scene along with 181 shell casings. Police believe some of weapons are connected to other crimes in the city and that multiple shooters were likely involved.

Sarah Delia is a Senior Producer for Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins. Sarah joined the WFAE news team in 2014. An Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, Sarah has lived and told stories from Maine, New York, Indiana, Alabama, Virginia and North Carolina. Sarah received her B.A. in English and Art history from James Madison University, where she began her broadcast career at college radio station WXJM. Sarah has interned and worked at NPR in Washington DC, interned and freelanced for WNYC, and attended the Salt Institute for Radio Documentary Studies.