Police: Man, 17-year-old girl charged in deadly north Charlotte triple shooting

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police have arrested and charged two teenagers in connection to a deadly triple shooting in north Charlotte early Thursday morning.

Officials said 18-year-old William Avoki was charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill inflicting serious injury, two counts of discharging a firearm into occupied property causing serious injury and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

A 17-year-old girl was also charged in the shooting, but she has not been identified, according to CMPD.

The shooting happened just after midnight on Holland Avenue, off Atando and Statesville avenues, near the Druid Hills Neighborhood Park.

Officers responding to the scene found a man, identified as 19-year-old David Burns, who had been shot inside a car that was down a hill near a barn. He was pronounced dead by paramedics.

Two other men were found nearby who had also been shot. They were taken to the hospital but will be OK, police said.

Ron Martin’s father has operated the Big M Stables for 50 years and said a horse caretaker heard the gunshots and called for help.

“One of the guys in the car that was shot -- and running to beat on the door on the house saying, ‘I’d (been) shot. My brother been shot. Call the ambulance,'” Martin said.

“We did locate one individual inside a vehicle, and that individual, unfortunately, was pronounced on scene by Medic after they attempted life-saving measures,” said CMPD Major Ryan Butler. “We did locate two other individuals who both sustained minor injuries. Those individuals have been transported to the hospital. So, we’ve got officers and homicide detectives at those scenes right now trying to get additional information.”

“We’ve got officers working the street for several things,” Butler told Channel 9. “We’ve got crime scene investigators out here, we’re in the process of processing the scene, recovering physical evidence. Officers and detectives who are canvassing the neighborhood to identify either citizen witnesses or any potential video that might be in the vicinity. We also had K-9 respond as well as detectives from special investigations to assist."

This was the second homicide investigation in that neighborhood this week. Over the weekend, police found a man and a woman dead inside an SUV that had crashed down an embankment.

"The community looks better, houses coming up but it’s still, it’s the hood so to speak," Martin said.

Druid Hills is minutes away from uptown with an average annual family income of $28,000.

The Housing Partnership has been working to get families into affordable homes but some worry about the crime that still exists.

A resident said their neighborhood watch has been trying to curb crime.

“They’re trying, they really are and if the neighbors keep doing what they’re doing, we at least keep each other alert,” the resident said.

Check back with wsoctv.com for updates on this story.

Police identify man found shot to death in driveway in north Charlotte Police identify man found shot to death in driveway in north Charlotte

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