KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — A 14-year-old has been arrested after a 17-year-old was killed in Kannapolis on Jan. 26, police said.
Kannapolis Police Department officers were called around 11 p.m. that say to Elwood Street. When they arrived, they found Ty’el Hankins, 17, of Charlotte, inside his car.
According to police, Hankins had been shot in his car, which then crashed into a home on Elwood Street at Cooper Avenue.
Two juveniles were also involved and were taken to the hospital, but neither had serious injuries, police said.
Channel 9′s Hannah Goetz spoke to a couple on Thursday who rushed to help moments after the shooting. They said they heard gunshots and then banging on their front door.
“He was covered in mud,” Miranda Evans said. “He was shoeless, 15, 16, just screaming that his friend’s been shot.”
Miranda and Phil Evans described the night police said Hankins was shot and killed just a few doors down from their home. They said a friend of Hankins went running for help.
“‘Help, my friend he’s been shot in the head,’” they said he told them. “I asked him where his friend was and he said he’s down here in the car, and at that time, we didn’t know the car had crashed into the house.”
The Evans said no one had been living in that home recently. Phil Evans went running to help just as police were pulling up.
“By the time I decided I was going to go down there and we were trying to help whoever needed to be helped, but I didn’t want to get shot at the same time,” he said.
Miranda Evans continued to console the other person in her yard.
“Mom instincts kicked in, like, let’s figure out where we are going, what we need to do and try to keep him as calm as possible,” she said. “It’s a sad thing to see a kid that young and in that type of distress.”
On Thursday, police said a 14-year-old was identified as the suspect and was taken into custody.
Investigators said they don’t think what happened was random.
Phil Evans said this is not something he would ever expect in his quiet neighborhood.
“They don’t understand, when they pull these guns out, a gun is forever,” he said. “Once you pull the trigger you cannot get it back.”
This was the second teen shot and killed in less than two weeks in Kannapolis, although police said the cases are not related.
Kannapolis police are still investigating the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call the Kannapolis Police Department at 704-920-4000. To remain anonymous and qualify for a reward, you can reach the Cabarrus Area Crime Stoppers at 704-93CRIME or by clicking here.
(WATCH BELOW: CMPD investigating homicide in southwest Charlotte)
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