Faith City Charlotte says its property was hit by multiple shootings and vandalism early Sunday morning, an incident the church says remains under investigation as it works with law enforcement. The church held a press conference Tuesday to address what happened and outline its response.
Church officials said there were multiple shootings and vandalism on church property early Sunday morning, Oct. 18, according to WBTV. Per church officials, several shots were fired on the property and the property was vandalized. The outlet reports that the incident is under investigation, and that Faith City Charlotte is cooperating with law enforcement as the inquiry moves forward.
Pastor Calls for Calm and Cooperation
Bishop Amere May, pastor of Faith City Charlotte, addressed the incident directly. “We are deeply concerned about what happened on our property. We are grateful for the law enforcement response, and our priority is the safety of our church and the surrounding community,” he said, per the same report.
May also asked the public to remain calm and allow the investigation to proceed, and he was direct about what should not happen next. “There must be no retaliation,” he said. The church is asking anyone with information, photos, or video of the incident to share it with authorities, the station notes.
Press Conference Addresses Church's Response
Faith City Charlotte held the press conference Tuesday, Oct. 20, with May expected to address both the incident itself and the church's broader response to it.
No suspects, arrests, or motive have been confirmed in connection with the incident, and no police agency or case number tied specifically to the Faith City Charlotte report was included in the available coverage. Those gaps are expected to be a focus of the ongoing investigation as officials and the church continue working together.
A Tense Season for Houses of Worship in the Region
The reported shooting and vandalism at Faith City Charlotte comes amid a string of unsettling incidents at North Carolina churches and across Charlotte more broadly. Two days before the church's press conference, a fire leveled a North Carolina church ahead of Sunday services, according to the Charlotte Observer, with church officials writing on social media, “Our building is gone, but the church is not!” In a case involving July 30 vandalism at a Statesville church, a woman was accused of guiding juveniles to start a fire near the property, as reported by wcnc.com. Charlotte has also seen a run of gun violence this fall, including arrests tied to a deadly shooting in which seven armed suspects allegedly opened fire on northwest Charlotte homes, according to WBTV. That same shooting became a homicide investigation after the child victim died of their injuries, as reported by WCNC Charlotte.
In a case involving July 30 vandalism at a Statesville church, a woman was accused of guiding juveniles to start a fire near the property, as reported by wcnc.com. Charlotte has also seen a run of gun violence this fall, including arrests tied to a deadly shooting in which seven armed suspects allegedly opened fire on northwest Charlotte homes, according to WBTV. That same shooting became a homicide investigation after the child victim died of their injuries, as reported by WCNC Charlotte.
For now, Faith City Charlotte's leadership says its focus is on cooperating with investigators and keeping its congregation and neighbors safe. Bishop May's message to the community was one of patience rather than panic, asking residents to let the investigation run its course rather than respond on their own.
