3 teenagers charged after 2 other teens shot over ‘disrespectful social media posts’

CHARLOTTE — Detectives have charged three teenagers after two other teens were shot Monday afternoon near South End.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said the shooting happened around 3:15 p.m.

Officers were called to Fairwood Avenue off South Tryon Street near South End where they said two juveniles had been shot.

“It makes me feel bad because we all need to be trying to get along and teach our fellow man how to get along with each other,” visitor Tiffine Reid said.

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Officers said a 14-year-old was shot in the chest while a 17-year-old was shot in both legs. The victims were taken to a hospital with serious injuries, police said.

Officers said the suspect vehicle sped away, crashing into several cars in the process. A tip led police to a vacant apartment on Brookhill Road where the three suspects were found hiding. They were all taken into custody without incident.

Detectives learned the shooting was the result of an ongoing feud between the teenagers over “disrespectful social media posts and previous criminal interaction.”

“These teenagers, they ain’t got no control,” another visitor, Sabu Talbert, said.

Dale Johnson told Channel 9 he knows the pain of losing a teenager to gun violence. His 17-year-old daughter was shot and killed in 2019 on Beatties Ford Road. She was being robbed by suspects under 17 years old.

“This city is not somewhere where any child that’s growing up nowadays really needs to be,” Johnson said.

He said he is considering leaving Charlotte.

“Where I can put my kids in a better environment,” he said. “Like, I have to get them out of this city. That’s on my mind every day.”

CMPD said all three teen suspects were charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill inflicting serious injury and felony conspiracy. The 14-year-old suspect was also charged with possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a minor. The 17-year-old suspect was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and hit and run. The third suspect, 19-year-old Keith Grier, was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

(WATCH BELOW: Standoff ends peacefully after officers were shot at from a Steele Creek apartment, CMPD says)