A Charlotte man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a jury yesterday convicted him of first-degree murder in a 2020 shooting that killed 25-year-old Demarcus Mack. Jurors found 33-year-old Antonio Rollins guilty in Mack’s death, and a judge ordered a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Prosecutors told jurors that Rollins opened fire at a Ford Mustang outside a gas station in the Brookshire Boulevard area in the early hours of Feb. 29, 2020. According to authorities, one bullet pierced the roof of a Dodge Magnum and struck Mack in the back of the head. As reported by WCNC, Rollins was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and received a life-without-parole sentence.
Reporting from the time places the shooting near North Crigler Street and Rozzelles Ferry Road, just west of the Brookshire Boulevard and I-85 interchange. Mack was taken to a hospital and died the following day. WFAE noted the killing was one of several homicides in Charlotte that week, a grim stretch that kept detectives and community members on edge.
Court and police records introduced at trial showed Rollins had a lengthy criminal history in Mecklenburg County and had been accused in a 2014 killing outside a Sunset Road car wash. That 2014 case was highlighted during a broader CMPD roundup, but the charges in that matter were later dropped, according to reporting by WCCB.
What prosecutors said
Prosecutors described the 2020 attack as a brief, violent burst of gunfire in which Rollins fired multiple rounds at the Mustang. At least one round went through the car’s roof before the vehicle left the roadway and hit a railroad embankment. They argued the sequence of shots and the circumstances around the crash showed intent and urged jurors to convict Rollins of first-degree murder.
Legal implications
The convictions leave Rollins serving a life term with no statutory path to early release. In cases with such heavy penalties, defense attorneys often pursue appeals and post-trial motions, challenging everything from evidentiary rulings to jury instructions. If the defense files appeals here, the case could stay active in the courts for months or even years as appellate judges review what happened at trial.
Mack’s family has spoken publicly about their grief since 2020, and local coverage has followed their efforts to cope and to support Mack’s child. WSOC has documented the family’s recovery work and the community support that has grown around them.
