What was supposed to be a backyard pool party in north Charlotte turned into a crime scene on March 22, leaving one young man dead and four others wounded. Family members say the victim was 20-year-old Richard Thomas. Weeks later, detectives say they still do not have a suspect in custody and are turning to the hundreds of partygoers who flooded the neighborhood that night, urging them to hand over any video they recorded.
Detectives ask partygoers to share video
Charlotte detectives are leaning heavily on cell phone footage that may have captured the crowd, the chaos, or even the shooter. Detective Ashley Phillips is asking anyone who filmed the gathering on Snapchat, Instagram Live, or their camera roll to send clips in through Crime Stoppers or the P3 Tips app, and notes that even a few seconds might make a difference.
"Detectives are looking for any type of video that you may have taken while you were there," Phillips said. As reported by WSOC, she added that clips which seem unimportant to the person who filmed them can still become crucial evidence for investigators.
Neighbors say the party swelled beyond limits
Neighbors told local outlets that the event exploded far beyond what the homeowner or party organizer had planned. One resident described people sprinting through yards when shots rang out. WSOC reports the pool had been rented through a peer-to-peer app. According to the homeowner, she initially tried to cap attendance at 200 guests but later estimated that roughly 500 people ended up crowding the property. Videos already circulating on social media are now central to detectives' efforts to identify who fired the shots.
Why video matters to detectives
Officers say shootings at large, loosely controlled gatherings can be especially difficult to untangle. With so many people running for safety and leaving immediately afterward, witnesses who might have seen something often never talk to police.
"It is very difficult to nail down people after the fact when they did not come forward that night," Phillips said, according to WBTV. Investigators are asking for original video files whenever possible so that timestamps and other metadata can be analyzed.
Family pleads for help
Thomas' relatives say their grief is matched only by a desire to see whoever pulled the trigger held accountable. They have publicly urged anyone with footage or firsthand information to come forward, hoping that digital evidence will fill in the gaps left by reluctant witnesses.
Thomas' mother and other family members told WSOC that he was a "good kid" who had recently moved to Charlotte, and said friends were among the first to alert them after the shooting. Even in the middle of their loss, they say their focus is on finding out who opened fire at the party.
Policy questions around rented pool parties
The deadly shooting has also stirred a broader fight over how private backyards are being turned into party venues. Neighbors around the property say they want clearer rules and more enforcement for large, commercial-style events in residential neighborhoods.
Reporting indicates the home where the shooting happened was listed through a pool-rental service and that county-level efforts to rein in such events have been complicated by recent changes to state law, as outlined by Yahoo. The shooting has become a flashpoint in that ongoing debate.
How to submit tips
Police are asking anyone with video or information tied to the March 22 party to contact Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or submit an anonymous tip through the P3 Tips app. Tipsters could be eligible for a reward if their information leads to an arrest.
Detectives are also urging people not to delete or overwrite any recordings. They say they are actively following leads, but so far no arrests have been announced.
