A Charlotte teenager has been sentenced to six to nine years in prison for his role in a robbery that came just before the killing of a fast-food worker at a northwest Charlotte Jack in the Box. The victim, 17-year-old Fate Brannon, was shot inside the restaurant after finishing a shift on March 29, 2024. Prosecutors say 17-year-old Shaheim Robinson took part in the robbery but did not fire the weapon that killed Brannon. The sentence closes one chapter in an investigation that authorities say has involved multiple arrests and court actions over the past two years.
Guilty plea and sentence
On Thursday, Robinson pleaded guilty to robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy and received a six-to-nine-year prison term, according to WSOC. The District Attorney’s Office told the station that Robinson and 28-year-old Marcus Dahn robbed Brannon inside the restaurant after his shift. Prosecutors later determined Robinson did not pull the trigger and the DA’s office said he had originally faced a murder charge before the plea agreement.
The shooting inside the restaurant
The shooting happened March 29, 2024, at the Jack in the Box at the corner of North Hoskins Road and Brookshire Boulevard, where Brannon had been waiting for a ride home, as reported by WCCB. Police say two masked suspects in dark clothing approached him and a confrontation inside the restaurant led to gunfire. Major Ryan Butler told the station, “Those suspects clearly targeted this individual.” Dahn was arrested days later and charged with first-degree murder along with robbery and weapons counts, WCCB reported.
Legal context
Prosecutors told WSOC they concluded Robinson did not fire the weapon and therefore accepted his plea to robbery and conspiracy rather than pursue murder charges against him. According to the District Attorney’s Office, Dahn remains the primary defendant in the homicide and is facing a first-degree murder charge along with related firearms and robbery counts. Robinson’s plea resolves his direct exposure to homicide penalties while other prosecutions tied to the case continue in Mecklenburg County courts.
Where the case stands
The broader investigation has included multiple arrests, including a juvenile who was taken into custody last spring, as reported by WBTV. Police earlier said Dahn was located and taken into custody on an unrelated warrant before detectives interviewed him, which led to the murder charge. Prosecutors have not yet announced a trial date for the first-degree murder case against Dahn.
Community and next steps
Brannon’s family publicly pleaded for answers after the killing and neighbors have followed the case closely as charges and pleas unfolded, WCCB reported. Police continue to ask anyone with information to call CMPD at 704-432-TIPS or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600. Future court filings and any trial dates in Dahn’s case will determine whether prosecutors can secure a murder conviction separate from the plea entered by Robinson.
