Man arrested in Mississippi for 2018 murder in northwest Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A man was arrested in Mississippi for fatally shooting a man in northwest Charlotte in Sept. 2018.

The Meridian Police Department arrested 45-year-old Mortez Hurse II on Thursday. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police charged him with the murder of 44-year-old Preston Nicholson.

According to officers, Nicholson was shot while driving on Brookshire Boulevard, and later died at the hospital.

Police said Hurse will be extradited to North Carolina at a later date.

Friends, family gather to honor life of man shot, killed at busy intersection

Friends and family came together to remember the life of a man shot and killed while driving on Brookshire Boulevard on Sept. 1, 2018.

Mothers of Murdered Offspring held a vigil for 44-year-old Preston Nicholson.

“Who was just always down to earth, always nice, caring, concerned, you know individual that loved the kids. It’s just for us to be out here to lift up his legacy,” Team TruBlue member Lakeisha Mobley said.

Nicholson, 44, was shot just after 2 a.m. on Brookshire Boulevard. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

"It's a shock to everybody,” said Will Adams, who said he knew Nicholson pretty well. "A father, brother, an uncle, a friend, someone you can depend on."

When officers arrived at the scene, they said they found Nicholson in a car suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.

"He was someone's child. It hits home for me, but this one cut deep because I knew him,” Adams said.

Officials said the initial investigation revealed both the victim and the shooter were traveling on Brookshire Boulevard in separate vehicles.

Police said Nicholson was shot at while driving through the intersection of Lawton Road and Brookshire Boulevard.

“This has to stop. The village has to come together,” Adams said. “Somebody had to be following him. Who? Why? We don’t have those answers, but we do have those questions."

Nicholson's daughter Mashante said she was very close with her father.

[Violent crimes down in Charlotte, CMPD reports]

"I just really didn't expect this, I talked to him an hour before it happened," Mashante Nicholson said.

She said she lost not only a mentor, but also her biggest fan.

"I'm a dancer. I grew up dancing. My dad would get me tights, leotards, tap shoes, ballet shoes. He would do my hair for recitals, he just really wanted me to succeed," Mashante Nicholson said.

"I do know my dad didn't deserve this, no matter what happened in his past or present life. He just didn't deserve to die like this," Mashante Nicholson said.

Adams said Nicholson was very involved with the TruBlue, a group focused on preventing violence, because he had a huge heart for the youth.

Nicholson also coached a youth baseball team, where one of the players was his 11-year-old son Brandon.

"It's really tough. It's hard. It was just listening to the last song me and my dad was listening to this morning and I started crying," Brandon Nicholson said.

"He was a stand-up guy, so for this to happen to him, it's like, ‘Wow,’” Adams said. "We just want to know why. who did it and if anybody in the community knows anything. We're just begging and pleading that you just come forward."

This is an ongoing investigation. Check back with wsoctv.com for more information.

Cox Media Group