Arrest made in mass shooting that injured 5 during New Year’s Eve celebration in Uptown

CHARLOTTE — A 19-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with a mass shooting that injured five people at Romare Bearden Park on New Year’s Eve in Uptown Charlotte.

Multiple officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department responded to Romare Bearden Park in Uptown around 11:30 p.m. as thousands of families were packed into the area, CMPD said.

Daevion Crawford fired a gun into a crowd of people, striking five individuals, CMPD said. He was taken into custody at the scene.

The five shooting victims, including four females and a male, had non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

At least two of the victims were visiting from out of the country, sources told Channel 9. One was shot in the leg and was in surgery Monday. All five were shot below the knee.

The other victim was shot in the foot.

Neither of them knew the suspect and appeared to have been innocent bystanders.

Crawford is facing five counts of assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill and one count of going armed to the terror of the public. His bond is set at $750,000, according to police reports.

Police said Crawford was not deemed to be an active shooter. Video technology aided in the identification of Crawford as the suspect.

He shot a “45-caliber pistol” several times “into a crowd of multiple bystanders in a public park during a New Year’s Eve event,” according to warrants.

‘Chaotic’

Video shows families running for cover and safety when the gunfire erupted.

“It was just chaotic,” said Samira Urban, who took her four kids to watch the fireworks. “It was a lot of chaos.”

There were multiple fights in the crowd hours before the shooting, she said.

“I feel like at that point, they should have closed the park down,” Urban said.

She could feel tensions boiling so she and her family left before seeing a single firework.

CMPD said the investigation into this incident is active and ongoing.

There were 80 officers in the area during the New Year’s Eve event, CMPD said.

There was another massive disruption that happened in July 2023 when a large fight broke out at the popular Uptown park. Dozens were arrested.

More New Year’s Eve arrests, charges

CMPD said officers responded to multiple other disturbances throughout the night in Uptown, which involved 11 kids. They initially said an adult was additionally involved, but said Wednesday that statement was made in error.

Charges included assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, going armed to the terror of the public, assault on a government official, carrying a concealed weapon, resisting a public officer, and possession of a handgun by a minor.

A 15-year-old boy, who cut off his ankle monitor, was charged with possession of a handgun by minor, no operator’s license, and resisting a public officer, CMPD said.

The department’s detectives tried to get a custody order for him.

However, the Department of Juvenile Justice denied the request, and the child suspect was released to a family member.

The juvenile suspect has a lengthy criminal history, which includes multiple auto thefts, resisting a public officer, larceny from a vehicle, breaking-and-entering, and assault with a deadly weapon, CMPD said.

Two CMPD officers were assaulted and had minor injuries. In addition to that, an officer had minor injuries when an unknown chemical substance was thrown at the officer.

(WATCH: Two people hospitalized in Uptown car accident onto Romare Bearden Park)