A 16-year-old boy, Alexander Cruz Martinez, was fatally shot on Wednesday night, just before 8 p.m., in a parking deck near a popular Midtown Charlotte Target store. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has yet to find the suspect, as confirmed by various local reports.
The incident shocked the community, with the area generally considered safe by those who frequent it. Vincent Montgomery, an employee at The Peach Cobbler Factory, expressed his alarm to WBTV, noticing "a bunch of commotion" as he left work. Montgomery also mentioned his desire for increased police presence at night, as the shopping area quiets down, potentially allowing crime to creep in.
Martinez was a sophomore at Rocky River High School, and the school's principal, David Legrand, communicated to parents the availability of a Crisis Response Team to support students and staff, QC News reported.
Dawn Gathings and Tiffany Stinson-Wah, who often walk along the adjacent Sugar Creek Greenway, voiced their concerns to QC News, saying, "That’s kind of scary that there’s so close to what’s familiar to us and what we’ve always looked at as a safe space." A separate security company manages the parking deck, and when reached out by QC News, the managing company, Collett, did not respond with details on security or the incident.
No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting, and the investigation is still ongoing. Authorities encourage anyone with information to contact CMPD’s Homicide Unit or to share anonymous tips with Charlotte Crime Stoppers, as per the details provided by WCCB Charlotte.
