Damien Gonzalez, 17, and his brother Dominic Salazar, 18, were shot near Fred Alexander Park on the evening of November 15, 2022. Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene. Salazar, taken to a hospital with serious injuries, died on December 4.
The shooting happened around 7 p.m. near the park, QC News reported, placing it in the 1800 block of Griers Grove Road. WBTV reported that Gonzalez was pronounced dead there and that Salazar was hospitalized. WCCB, which described the scene as northwest Charlotte, said officers responded around 7 p.m. in the 1800 block of Griers Cove Road — a different street name from the one QC News used.
A Five-Month-Old Left Behind
Gonzalez left behind a five-month-old child, his family told WSOC reporter Hunter Sáenz. Salazar died from his injuries on Sunday, Dec. 4, QC News reported, nearly three weeks after the shooting.
Juvenile Charges, Then a Second Death
On Nov. 28, two juveniles were charged in connection with the case, QC News reported. WBTV reported the charges as murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit robbery, and attempted murder.
After Salazar died, CMPD said it was working with the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office to upgrade the juvenile suspects' charges to murder, according to QC News. That was a planned step, not a confirmed completed upgrade. WCCB reported that the brothers' family wanted the suspects charged as adults.
The contemporaneous record stops there: two brothers dead, a five-month-old left behind, two juveniles charged, and police saying they were still working with prosecutors after the second death.
