Charlotte homicides up nearly 20 compared to this time last year

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) -Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are seeking answers in two more homicide investigations this weekend.

A 16-year-old was shot and killed Saturday night near a Family Dollar store on North Tryon Street in north Charlotte. Less than 24 hours early, on Friday evening, a 23-year-old man was fatally shot near UNC Charlotte’s campus.

This year alone in Charlotte, 104 people have been murdered. That’s nearly 20 more homicides than reported at this point last year.

In a violent 2019, 87 people were killed by violence in Charlotte before Nov. 8. The homicide total rose to 107 last year.

CMPD continues to see a sobering trend of violence across Charlotte, which is only cutting deeper for the families of those murdered.

“We’re standing here investigating another homicide and this time. It’s involving a 16-year-old,” CMPD Major Ryan Butler said on Saturday.

On Saturday night, a shooting took the life of 16-year-old Ruben Contreras. Police say shots rang out on N Tryon Street near the Family Dollar. “This is not the best we can do and we have to be able to work together,” Butler said. That scene was the second deadly shooting in Charlotte in less than 24 hours. Friday night’s deadly shooting near UNC Charlotte claimed the life of 23 year old Xavier Adams.

Detectives say Adams was shot and later died at the hospital.

CMPD has a message to the Charlotte community as we near the end of 2020.

“As we finish out 2020 and move into 2021, we’ve got to stop working against each other,” Butler said. “We’ve got to realize regardless of our differences of opinions, we all want everyone to be well, to do well, to be safe.”

CMPD is looking for leads and answers as to why and who is responsible.

In those two cases, police have not made any arrests.

If you know anything that could help solve those investigations, you are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

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