CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department charged Thomas Henry McCray, 34, with the murder of 33-year-old Shikeither Dinetta Smith on Wednesday.
Detectives said the crime was domestic in nature and the two were in a long-term relationship.
Police told Channel 9 that McCray was the one who called officers to the home after the shooting.
Officers said they were called to a home in north Charlotte just before 6:50 a.m. for a report of shots fired. When they arrived, officers found Smith dead inside.
Paramedics said the woman was pronounced dead around 7 a.m. at the home on Newcastle Street, just off Lasalle Street near Interstate 77.
We first updated WSOCTV news app users with a notification just before 8:30 a.m. Wednesday that police were investigating the woman's death as a homicide.
Download the WSOCTV news app for your smartphone and get updates on this developing story as they come in.
The scene was less than a mile away from Lincoln Heights Academy, but school officials said there was no disruption to the bell schedule.
Family members and neighbors told Channel 9 that the couple had more than four children together.
Officers confirmed the children were not inside the house at the time of the shooting.
CMPD told Channel 9 that eight out of the 41 homicides in Charlotte this year are tied to domestic violence, which is 20 percent.
Neighbors said they are concerned about what will happen to the couple's children.
Police are investigating Charlotte’s latest homicide right now. Watch Mark Barber WSOC live on Newcastle Street where officers say a man killed a woman in a case of domestic violence. UPDATES --> https://on.wsoctv.com/2NgfhgO
Posted by WSOC-TV on Wednesday, September 5, 2018
"As a father myself, that's all I keep thinking about, just the children growing up without a father or a mother whatever the circumstance might be," said neighbor Gary Helms.
Officers said they still don't know if the children will stay with other family members or social services.
Check back with wsoctv.com for updates on this story.
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