Man accused of shooting 12-year-old at bus stop to face judge Friday

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bullet casings littered the ground in north Charlotte as emergency crews rushed a 12-year-old boy to the hospital Thursday morning.

Police arrested and charged Ray Shawn Daniels, 29, who they said shot the innocent child at a bus stop before firing shots at a deputy and leading law enforcement on a chase.

Ray S. Daniels

(Ray Shawn Daniels)

Police said the child was waiting for the charter school bus when people started to fight before firing shots.

Allen Bailey said he was walking to the McDonalds to get breakfast when a gunman pulled up and started shooting at a group of people.

"I hid under the car. That's all I could do,” Bailey said.

Around 7:30 a.m., police received a call about shots being fired along Sugar Creek Road, near Reagan Drive, not far from Interstate 85. That was when the 12-year-old was shot in the leg. He was tended to by responding officers before being taken to Carolinas Medical Center. Officials said he will survive.

Police said Daniels targeted a group when he started shooting near a local motel but instead shot the child.

"It's about the kid right now,” Bailey said. “That's what got me upset. It's just a maniac. I just don't understand any of this."

[GALLERY: Police investigate after 13-year-old shot in north Charlotte]

A Mecklenburg County sheriff's deputy was driving in the area at the time and heard the shots. Sheriff Irwin Carmichael said his deputy immediately looked for the source of the gunfire and confronted the shooter.

Investigators said the suspect then aimed at the deputy and opened fire. The deputy's windshield near the rearview mirror was struck.

The deputy did not fire back.

Police said Daniels and a driver then sped off in a black Cadillac and the deputy chased them southbound along I-85 before the pursuit made its way onto Brookshire Boulevard where the car crashed.

Police told Channel 9 the suspects ran from the scene.

Daniels was caught moments later and was transported to the hospital before being taken to jail, police said.

"This deputy's actions saved lives today," Sheriff Carmichael told Eyewitness News.

Channel 9 crews could see officers surrounding a black Cadillac in the parking lot of Mr. C's restaurant.

Detectives said they found the gun they believe the suspect used during the crime.

"I'd hate for something like that to happen to my child or a friend's," said Michael Jones, who is a parent and lives near the shooting scene. "That's sad."

Police have not yet found the driver of the Cadillac.

Community members told Channel 9 the neighborhood should be a safe place because there is a lot of foot traffic, with nearby gas stations, bus stops, and a McDonalds.

Instead, many think it is so dangerous that they want a curfew on the streets.

In the few hours around the shooting, Channel 9 was on Sugar Creek as police officers arrested two people on the street, but police aren’t saying why they were handcuffed.

In the area, there have been 21 serious crimes in the past four weeks, including six robberies, seven assaults and an arson.

"You can come around here any time of night and you'll see two to three prostitutes walking around, drug dealers pulling up at the hotel I stay at and gunshots,” said neighbor Anthony Anderson.

Anderson said he used to be a drug addict, so he understands the problems fueling the crime.

However, now that a 12-year-old was shot, he said something needs to change.

"More police presence, and people need to speak out,” Anderson said.

Police said crime is particularly bad on Sugar Creek Road because there are plenty of hotels with low rates along I-85.

Police have tried making some hotels restrict ZIP codes and require background checks, but that's still something they're fighting for in court.

Channel 9 reached out to council members Larken Egleston and Gregory Phipps, whose districts border the corridor, to ask what they're doing to crack down on crime in the community. They haven’t yet responded.

Daniels was charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer, possession of a firearm by a felon and discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle.

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