Arrest made after 2 kids hit by gunfire while playing with rabbit on apartment balcony

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested and charged a 20-year-old man after two children were hit by gunfire Monday at an apartment complex in east Charlotte.

An 11-year-old boy was shot and a 5-year-old boy was grazed by a bullet late Monday afternoon while they played with a pet rabbit on the balcony of an apartment on Amity Pointe Road near North Sharon Amity Road, police said.

[ALSO READ: CMPD says deadly shooting at east Charlotte apartments was ‘justified’]

The shooting happened around 5:45 p.m.

Detectives were investigating a separate shooting involving Jatarius Jones that happened at about 7:30 p.m. Authorities were then able to link him with the shooting that injured the two boys.

He was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.

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When police got to the apartment complex Monday, they found the older child who had been shot in the back of the head. He was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, police said.

Officers then learned that the 5-year-old had been grazed by a bullet. That child was also taken to the hospital but will be OK.

Detectives said at least two apartments were hit with gunfire.

The two children were playing with a pet rabbit on the balcony of one apartment when they were injured. Police said the children were not the intended targets.

A witness said he saw a firefighter carry the 11-year-old boy, who had been shot in the neck.

“He’s young,” he said. “I got my boy, like, 11 years old, too. I think about the parents in this situation.”

At a news conference on Wednesday, police said they believe the 11-year-old will recover from his injuries, but added he has a long road ahead due to “the careless actions of one person.”

Jones' involvement in the other shooting happened a short time later. CMPD responded to West Sugar Creek and North Tryon roads after there was a report of someone shooting into a vehicle.

Police quickly caught up with the vehicle Jones was in. Dominique Daniels, 20 and Niyha Durham, 22, were also in the sedan.

The car did not stop, and a pursuit ended on Barringer Drive and Pressley Road. All three suspects were taken into custody and remain in jail.

Police said they were able to arrest Jones, who was wearing an electronic monitor, largely because someone gave investigators a “little piece” of information, which became a critical part of the investigation. In the moments after the apartment shooting, a witness gave police a description of a car leaving the scene.

When police later responded to the second shooting involving that same car they were able to use traffic cameras and track Jones’ electronic monitor that put him at the scene of the apartment shooting on Monday night.

“It’s vitally important that we get information from citizens. And I think it’s even more important that the citizen came up very early on in the investigation. This wasn’t a week or two down the line. It was very early. And we were able to match that back up and make this arrest,” Lt. Alan Greene said.

Jones was charged with assault by pointing a gun at a person, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and felony conspiracy.

Daniels was charged with discharging a weapon into occupied property, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and felony conspiracy.

Durham was charged with assault by pointing a gun at a person and felony conspiracy.

Shootings involving children have become a frustrating trend in Charlotte, for not only police but also community leaders and neighbors. People who live at Sharon Pointe Apartments told Channel 9 they have seen the boys frequently, and they were saddened and disturbed about the shooting.

“When I heard about it, and I was on my way home, I got the phone call -- and I got scared because I thought it was one of my children outside playing,” Shatinka Higgins said.

“Every day there’s kids outside playing like in that field over there,” said another neighbor. “All in the parking lot, they walk a lot in the parking lot. They played like every day, you know school has been, people have been at school, so they’ve been outside playing.”

CMPD’s Crime Stoppers Unit was at the apartment complex to go door to door and seek answers.

“We’re out here in the community, just talking to as many people as possible trying to get leads on the identity of the suspect, so we can put him in jail where he needs to be,” Officer Adrian Johnson said.

>> Return to this story for updates.

Last week, Channel 9 reported on the tragic shooting death of 5-year-old Amani Barringer. Police said she died from an accidental shooting when a gun got into a 14-year-old’s hands.

That teen is now charged with involuntary manslaughter. An adult was also charged with failing to secure the gun.

Last month, CMPD said 2-year-old Amor Cureton got a hold of his dad’s gun and shot and killed himself.

In July, 14-year-old Ferrell Bradley was shot and killed outside a gas station off Ashley Road.

In June, 14-year-old Terreon Geter was killed after a fight on Beatties Ford Road.

And in May, 15-year-old Roman Kichigan was killed while sitting in a car in east Charlotte.

According to CMPD, 27 people younger than 17 died from gun violence in 2017, that number nearly doubled this year with 49 deaths.

“We’ve got to stand up and do something about it. We can’t continue to go on with this kind of violence in our city,” said Kass Ottley with Seeking Justice Charlotte. “We have to get past talking and get out and actually do the work.”

CMPD is planning to launch two new violence prevention programs this fall. One is hospital-based and will provide victims counseling and support while they recover. The second is a street outreach, with workers focusing on people with the highest risk of becoming involved in crime.

Teen charged in deadly shooting of 19-year-old in east Charlotte, police say Teen charged in deadly shooting of 19-year-old in east Charlotte, police say

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