CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department says a homicide investigation is underway after officers found a car crash on Shamrock Drive late Wednesday night.
CMPD said officers were called to the crash around 11:20 p.m. on Shamrock Drive near Hickory Grove Road. They found a car down an embankment near the road, and a woman was inside. The victim was taken to the hospital, but she died from her injuries.
The victim was identified as Kennedi Aniyah Flora Jones.
Police didn’t say how Jones died. It’s not clear if she was hurt before the crash.
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Police haven’t said why they are calling this a homicide investigation. CMPD said that detectives with the major crash investigation unit, the DWI task force, and crime scene search were originally on the case, but then homicide unit detectives were called to the scene.
On Thursday, Channel 9 spoke with Terry Johnson, a neighbor who said he heard gunshots late on Christmas night near where the crash happened.
“When I first came out here, the only thing I heard was the gunfire...I said, ‘man I get so tired of this,’” Johnson told Channel 9′s Jonathan Lowe.
He said while it’s not uncommon to hear gunshots in that area, this particular situation feels unusual: “The car was wrecked, right here, so I’m thinking all this is together.”
Family members told Channel 9′s Jonathan Lowe that Jones was cherished by all of her relatives and friends. They were still in a state of shock over her death and declined to talk about the case on camera.
This is a developing story. Check wsoctv.com for updates.
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