CHARLOTTE — A woman was fatally shot in southeast Charlotte early Friday morning, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Her boyfriend has been charged with murder.
Just before 2 a.m. Friday, police responded to the 8100 block of Woodway Oak Circle. The scene was outside the Mission Matthews Place Apartments off east Independence Boulevard.
Court documents show the suspect, Charles Hodge Jr., 25, called 911 to report his girlfriend was shot in the neck and losing blood.
At the scene, police found 23-year-old JeNyah Wright. She later died from her injuries, according to police.
Family members told Channel 9 that Wright was a mother to two children.
“We are in the very preliminary stages of this investigation, so we are asking for any and all assistance from the community,” said Maj. Gene Lim.
According to court documents, arriving officers found Hodge kneeling over Wright’s body and applying pressure to her injury with a shirt. Officers noticed he was not wearing any shoes and his socks were soaked with blood.
Hodge went with detectives to be interviewed, the documents say. He told them he had been dating Wright for two months. He said she had gone out to a bar with friends and she called him asking for a ride home. He said he picked her up and took her to her apartment where they sat in the car and chatted.
Hodge said a man wearing all black and a black mask over his face approached the car. When Hodge opened his door to see what he wanted, he said the man asked for a lighter and then pulled out a gun and pointed it at him. He said they wrestled over the gun and the man shot twice into the car and ran away.
Hodge told detectives he called 911 at that point. He said while he was waiting for police to arrive, he was walking around looking for someone to help him. He said he never walked into a grassy area between buildings 8118 and 8114.
Detectives said they found bloody footprints leading away from Wright and away from the car. They followed the footprints into the grassy area, where a K-9 found a Glock 40-caliber pistol with one round.
Investigators also said Wright was shot on both sides of her neck. One of the injuries indicated she was shot at close range, which contradicts what Hodge told them, the documents say.
Charles Hodge was charged on Friday with first-degree murder.
Neighbors told Channel 9′s Hunter Sáenz what they remember about Wright.
“She brought so much joy into people’s lives,” said Pasquel Flores, who lives nearby.
Neighbors would often see Wright’s two young boys playing outside. Now, they’re just thinking of them and their tragic loss.
“I really love my mom and I could never imagine that, especially at a young age ‘cause the kids have so much life ahead of them,” Flores said. “Who’s going to be their guidance, their protector?”
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