A man has been taken into custody in relation to a fatal shooting that occurred last month in northeast Charlotte. Marquell Dashon Pettiford, 28, was arrested and charged with the murder of 29-year-old Anthony Zellars. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department have said the incident took place around 10:45 a.m. on November 19 at the Woodland Hollow apartments, according to a report from WCNC Charlotte.
Officials found Zellars shot in the parking lot of the apartment complex, and he was declared deceased on the scene. Major Torri Tellis has previously expressed the urgency of the investigation, stating, "We want to make sure we can identify any possible leads to solve this," WCNC Charlotte reports. Pettiford, who was booked into the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office on Friday, faces charges of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
As per court documents, law enforcement additionally charged Pettiford with a probation violation that occurred in July of 2022. Although details of the violation are not public, the charge adds to Pettiford's legal troubles. Pettiford is being held without the possibility of bond and is due in Mecklenburg County court on Monday, as gleaned from information provided by QC News.
In the aftermath of the shooting, authorities scoured the apartment complex for evidence, including a black BMW that was located near where the incident occurred. There has been no mention of a motive or if Pettiford and Zellars knew each other prior to the shooting. As the community grapples with another act of violence, this arrest represents a step towards closure for the victim's family and the surrounding community, as WBTV noted in their report.
