Police identify Four Victims After Deadly Block Party Shooting

CHARLOTTE, NC — A deadly shooting into a block party gathering has claimed the life of a fourth victim, Charlotte police said Wednesday. Police are asking the community for information and leads for the incident that they say involved several shooters who fired nearly 200 rounds into the crowd of about 400 from handguns and assault rifles.

In addition to the four victims killed, one person remains in critical condition, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Deputy Chief Gerald Smith said Wednesday. About 10 others at the scene were listed as injured from either gun shots or from injuries sustained when they were hit by cars running from the shooting.

Police say they do not yet have a motive. "Right now there's no indication that it was premeditated," Smith said.

Officers from CMPD were initially called to the scene near the 1800 block of Beatties Ford Road shortly after midnight Monday morning after receiving a call reporting a pedestrian hit by a vehicle.

"As officers were responding, they heard several gunshots in the immediate area," a CMPD report said. Shortly afterwards, they located a woman with a gunshot wound lying in Beatties Ford Road.

The woman, who was later identified as Kelly Miller, 29, was later pronounced dead on the scene, police said.

Eight other people were also struck by gunfire in the incident, including Christopher Antonio Gleaton, 28, who was later pronounced dead at an area hospital Monday. Police identified two additional victims who died: Jamaa Keon Cassell, 39, and Dairyon Dejean Stevenson, 31.

"Preliminary information gathered during the investigation indicates that several shooters discharged dozens of shots in to the crowd who had been gathered in the area," CMPD said immediately following the incident.

By Wednesday, however, police had more detail to offer. Investigators recovered 181 bullet casings from the scene from handguns and assault rifles, Smith said. "That's a lot of bullets."

Processing shell casings found at the scene through a ballistic database indicated that some weapons used in the shooting are connected to other cases.

"We have guns that have not only been involved in one crime, but other crimes around the city," Smith said.

The investigation into this case is active and ongoing, CMPD said. Police said that anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.