CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Anti-Crime Unit arrested 20 suspects following a three-month operation aimed at combating violent crime in the city.
“They were part of this community and we hope by taking them out of this community it’s going to put an end to the violence,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Capt. Mike Harris said.
[ PDF: Mug shots, names and charges of 20 arrested by CMPD ]
The department made the announcement Wednesday in a north Charlotte neighborhood off Statesville Road where police said some of the violence between two warring groups has unfolded since early 2014.
“These individuals were part or affiliated with two different groups that had the intent of hurting each other,” Harris said. “They didn’t care if innocent victims were in the way or not.”
The 20 arrested are all men between 17 and 30 years old with the bulk of them in their early-to-mid-20s.
The suspects are facing various charges, including murder, shooting into homes or vehicles, robbery, fraud, possession of a firearm as a felon and/or probation violations.
Channel 9 spoke with residents who live in the violence-plagued neighborhoods. One man who didn’t want to be identified showed Channel 9 crews several bullet holes that remain in his vehicle following a shooting around Thanksgiving last year.
“There are too many children around here,” the man said. “We’ve been fortunate no one was been shot and killed in the neighborhood.”
Investigators said they determined four of the 20 men arrested were responsible for firing into a home on Sunstone Drive last year, including Antonio Rollins who was also later charged for the killing of a man at a car wash on Sunset Road.
CMPD said cooperation from the community help the task force make these arrests, as well as get nearly a dozen firearms off the streets.
Officials and community advocates continue to ask for the public’s help in solving violent crimes, especially after a rash of shootings over Labor Day weekend that remain unsolved.
“We’ve got to do a better job of coming together and speaking up,” said Rickey Hall, who is a community advocate in Charlotte.
Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com: