Police identify 14-year-old boy gunned down in west Charlotte; 2 men arrested

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have arrested two men the day after a teenage boy was shot to death in west Charlotte.

Officers were called to the scene just before 5:30 p.m. on Ashley Road at Wilkinson Boulevard. The shooting happened in the parking lot of the Murphy USA convenience store near a Walmart.

[ALSO READ: Police identify victim in Charlotte’s third homicide in less than 24 hours]

Paramedics said a boy, identified as 14-year-old Ferrell Bradley, was shot in the head and died at the scene. He is the second 14-year-old, and the fourth teenager, to be killed in Charlotte in the last two weeks.

From Chopper 9 Skyzoom, dozens of officers could be spotted at the scene, which was roped off with crime scene tape. The shooting happened just days after police pleaded for the violence across the city to stop, saying that it’s especially upsetting that children keep dying at the hands of others.

“Enough is enough,” CMPD Maj. Ryan Butler told Channel 9 at the scene. “We have to say that this has got to stop. Ok?”

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“I know how much it frustrates and sickens me that we are out here because this is somebody’s child,” Butler said. “Nobody should have to endure that. No city should have to endure this. This should be extremely frustrating. This should be just intolerable.”

On Friday, police announced the arrest of two men, Jamall Rashaun Hallman, 29, and Swade Vidal Patterson, 26. They have both been charged with murder.

Police sources told Channel 9 the shooting was not random, and that there were drugs involved in some way. But that doesn’t minimize the tragedy of another teenager who has died too soon.

Counselor Kyle Murray said he mentored Bradley for three years at Hope for Harvest summer camps and is heartbroken by what happened.

He said he tried to save the teen from the violence in the streets and it hurts that he couldn’t.

“It’s very real, and it’s constant and it needs to stop. The gun violence and kids being in environments where they’re not able to thrive,” he said.

Activist Kass Ottley, who was attending a meeting about making the community safe when the shooting happened, said the violence illustrates a bigger problem.

“People are heartbroken. People are exhausted. Because they’re tired of saying it over and over again,” Ottley said. “We talked about solutions. We’ve had meetings with the task force with a committee. We need action. Because while we’re sitting here in a meeting, like yesterday, to come out and find out another young person has lost their life.”

Return to this story for updates.

16-year-old is latest Charlotte homicide victim; new CMPD chief frustrated 16-year-old is latest Charlotte homicide victim; new CMPD chief frustrated

Cox Media Group