CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and Uptown leaders are taking action to make sure this year’s Fourth of July fireworks show is safe.
On Monday morning, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings announced the police will be visiting the homes of 30 juveniles who were charged during last year’s July 4 fireworks and this past year’s mass shooting and chaos on New Year’s Eve.
In advance of the Uptown fireworks this year, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings says CMPD will visit the homes of all of the teens accused of crime during last year's July 4 fireworks and the NYE mass shooting and chaos @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/cFIFB1Kttm
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) July 1, 2024
Chaos in the park has become common during major Uptown events.
Last Fourth of July, CMPD charged 47 people, 17 of them teens for shooting off fireworks in the middle of Romare Bearden Park and for starting fights. Families were sent running.
As the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve, families fled after police say 19-year-old Daevion Crawford shot five people. CMPD says 11 kids were also arrested that night in connection with the disarray.
At a news conference Monday morning, Chief Jennings said violence will not be tolerated at Thursday’s firework show in Uptown.
“If they are going to come into Uptown for these festivities to do stuff that will get them in trouble then it is not worth it,” he said.
He says many of the teens that are accused in both events are repeat offenders. He says there will be a robust safety plan in place to make sure everyone is safe.
“I would 100% feel safe to bring myself or my family into uptown to enjoy these festivities,” he said.
Cirilo Gonzalez Cruz was one of the five New Year’s Eve shooting victims. He hopes the teens take CMPD’s message to heart.
“Good luck with that,” he said. “Hopefully they can try to educate them but that is going to be hard.”
He says he has more confidence in a new state law that will charge them as adults if they commit certain crimes.
“I think it is going to help,” he said.
Under the new law, 16 and 17-year-olds accused of violent crimes will automatically have their cases heard in adult court. It goes into effect Dec. 1. Chief Jennings is in favor of this and thanked lawmakers for overriding Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto.
(WATCH BELOW: Two more parents tied to Charlotte NYE chaos have charges dropped)
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