A deadly early morning shooting in west Charlotte has now turned into a homicide case, with Charlotte-Mecklenburg police securing murder warrants for three teenagers after a 14-year-old victim died from his injuries. The boy, identified in police updates as 14-year-old Kamarhy Sanders-Livingston, was critically wounded in the July 14 shooting and died yesterday. Two 17-year-olds and a 15-year-old are now in custody in connection with the case, according to homicide detectives.
Homicide Investigation in the Freedom Division
— CMPD News (@CMPD) July 23, 2026
Charlotte, N.C. – (Thursday, July 22, 2026) – Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s (CMPD) Homicide Unit are conducting a homicide investigation in the 1000 block of Lewiston Avenue in the Freedom Division.
On… pic.twitter.com/uRRKJPFkR8
Emergency medical crews told WSOCTV the shooting happened around 2 a.m. on Lewiston Avenue and that the patient arrived at a hospital with life-threatening injuries, as reported by WSOC. Initial dispatches described the incident as an assault with a deadly weapon that prompted a response from CMPD’s homicide unit.
Investigation and Arrests
Homicide detectives identified 17-year-olds Tabius Joseph and Juandriqus Dempsey, along with a 15-year-old male, as suspects in the Lewiston Avenue shooting. In an update, CMPD said Joseph was located and arrested on July 15, while the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT) found and arrested Dempsey and the juvenile on July 22. Detectives then obtained murder warrants for all three on July 23, according to CMPD News on X.
Charges and Custody
According to CMPD, detectives also obtained additional warrants charging Joseph and Dempsey with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure, felony conspiracy and injury to real property. Joseph and Dempsey were transferred to the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, while the 15-year-old was moved to a juvenile detention facility in Cabarrus County under a secure custody order. CMPD says the investigation remains active.
Where This Fits in West Charlotte
The shooting took place in CMPD’s Freedom Division, a west Charlotte patrol area that has seen several homicide investigations this year and a visible increase in police activity. Local coverage has tracked those ongoing probes and neighborhood concerns, as noted in Homicide Cops Swarm Freedom Division.
How to Help
Detectives are asking anyone with information about the Lewiston Avenue shooting to contact the CMPD Homicide Unit tip line at 704-432-8477 (TIPS) to speak directly with a detective. Anonymous tips can be shared with Charlotte Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or through the P3 Tips mobile app, according to the department’s community resources page at Crime Stoppers. Investigators are especially interested in hearing from anyone who recorded video or witnessed anything in the 1000 block of Lewiston Avenue early on July 14. The case remains open.
