Teen arrested in connection with homicide at east Charlotte QT gas station

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Family and friends were desperate for answers as to who shot and killed 17-year-old Daquan Shannon on March 4 at an east Charlotte gas station.

Police arrested and charged Tyrelle Dai’shon Gaston, 17, on Tuesday with discharging a weapon into a moving vehicle.

(Tyrelle Dai' shon Gaston)

[PHOTOS: CMPD investigates homicide after teen fatally shot in Charlotte]

Police said Shannon was shot at the QT station in the 5200 block of Central Avenue off North Sharon Amity Road around 12:15 a.m.

“I can't get mad at them (CMPD) because they are working on my son's case to give me justice,” Shannon’s mother, Tawana Doby, said.

The loss of her son devastated Doby.

“He ain't even get to see 18,” she said. “He (would’ve turned) 18 later this year.”

She hopes she will have closure.

“I just want justice, that's all. That's all I want is justice,” Doby said.

One of Shannon’s cousins, Mario Black, is a community activist who founded Million Youth March of Charlotte, which takes a stand against violence and helps at-risk teens. He described Shannon as a regular teenager who loved football.

"It has left me numb because he was 17 years old, and as Million March for Charlotte and Salisbury, we target teenagers ages 13-17," Black said.

He said that Shannon was a student at Garinger High School and had dreams of going to college.

Black said Shannon used to call him for advice and he regrets not being there for him.

"He would always reach out to me for advice and to talk and I was always busy, and I always promised him I would get him invited in Million Youth March of Charlotte and Salisbury and that never happened," Black said.

Black said his cousin's murder shows him that there is so much more he needs to do to help at-risk youth in the community.

"Charlotte we have to do better. The adults, we have to do better to embrace the young people," Black said.

Family members shared this photo of DaQuan Shannon. He died this morning after he was shot at an East Clt. convenience store.

He was 17. pic.twitter.com/YsqFHUuROm
— DaShawn Brown (@DaShawnWSOC9) March 4, 2018

In a statement, QT’s corporate office told Channel 9 they are extending condolences to Shannon's family and working with police to find the shooting suspect.

A QuikTrip spokesperson told Channel 9 that the store handed over surveillance video to help officers identify the gunman.

“So many people that are out here that shouldn’t have guns that aren’t even mature enough to bear the responsibility of a gun have one,” community member Shawn Henderson said. “I'm a 43-year-old man and I'm looking over my shoulder as well because it's all going on.”

The shooting happened in one of Charlotte-Mecklenburg police's exchange zones, a place where online shoppers can trade items. At this point, investigators don't know if this case has anything to do with that.