A recent spate of shootings in west Charlotte's Westerly Hills neighborhood has left residents on edge, with a woman seriously injured in a drive-by shooting early Thursday morning. The incident, which occurred around 1 a.m. at an apartment complex on Babbling Brook Way, marks the third shooting in the area in less than a week, WBTV reports. The first, a drive-by shooting early Sunday, resulted in a 2-year-old girl suffering a gunshot wound while sleeping inside her home at Evoke Living off Wilkinson Boulevard.
According to WCCB Charlotte, Leilone Kinard, the injured toddler, had to undergo multiple surgeries but fortunately avoided life-threatening organ damage. "By the grace of God, it didn’t hit any major organs or anything like that," Andrea Carballo, the child's aunt, told the news outlet. Following the incident, police installed a watch tower near the scene yet, no suspects or arrests have been announced. Concerns over safety have surged, with Carballo expressing the family's anxiety: "She got shot in her sleep at home she had nothing to do with anything. Where is it safe at this point?"
A second shooting this week involved gunfire at another apartment in the same complex on Tuesday just after 4 a.m., as WCNC Charlotte described. Multiple bullet holes were found, but no injuries were reported. The affected community is finding it difficult to retain a sense of normalcy and safety, as quoted in a WCNC Charlotte interview with a relative of the toddler: "You don't feel safe in your own home," and the sentiment is leading residents, including the anonymous woman to reconsider their living situations, "I'm in the process of trying to relocate myself."
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are actively investigating the string of shootings, the motives behind which remain unclear. A Gofundme has been set up to assist Leilone Kinard's family with relocating and medical expenses, indicating the broader impact these violent events have on the lives of those involved. As the investigation continues, Charlotte Crime Stoppers has urged anyone with information to come forward by calling 704-334-1600.
