Witness to Shooting on Juneteenth Weekend: Gunfire Came From ‘Left, Right, Front and Back’

Charlotte police say they are seeking witnesses to the early Monday shooting, which has left three people dead.

A witness to a mass shooting at a Charlotte Juneteenth celebration early Monday said they believed there to be as many as 15 to 20 shooters. 

Gunfire was coming from “left, right, front and back,” the witness told WBTV-Charlotte Monday.

Three people were killed during the shooting and another 11 injured, including some struck by vehicles as attendees attempted to flee.

“Several shooters discharged dozens of shots into the crowd,” a CMPD statement said. WBTV reported that “hundreds of people” were in the streets, as eyewitnesses described the scene as ‘chaos.”

“Preliminary information gathered during the investigation indicates that several shooters discharged dozens of shots into the crowd who had been gathered in the area,” police said.

“It was something that we never want to see either as a community or as a police department,” CMPD Deputy Chief Johnny Jennings said.

A silent march, which included Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, was held near the scene Monday afternoon. Look for more coverage of that today from Cardinal & Pine.

Charlotte police responded to a call at about 12:30 a.m. Monday morning. When officers arrived at the scene several shots were fired. A woman found lying in the road with a gunshot wound was pronounced dead on scene. A second gunfire victim was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

After notifying the victims’ families, CMPD identified those killed as 29-year-old Kelly Miller and 28-year-old Christopher Gleaton. On Monday afternoon, police confirmed a third victim, 39-year-old Jamaa Keon Cassell, had died as well.

In addition to the deceased, seven other people were shot, with five of them suffering serious injuries. They, along with five people sustaining non-life-threatening injuries after being struck by cars, were taken to Clemmons Medical Center – Novant Health in Charlotte.

At a press conference Monday, police said they were seeking witnesses. CMPD has offered a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.