‘Life of the party’: Local singer remembered, killed in shooting at north Charlotte convenience store

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – One person has died and a second person was injured in a shooting at a north Charlotte convenience store.

MEDIC confirmed two people were taken to the hospital with serious injuries after they were shot. One of them, later identified by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police as 32-year-old Raymond Goodman, died at the hospital.

The shooting happened just after 11:30 p.m. Monday at a Pilot gas station and convenience store on Statesville Avenue, just off Interstate 85.

Goodman was a member of the local R&B group, Metal Roze.

“I got the call and it seemed like a nightmare. Seemed like it was unreal because knowing his character, he is not the type of person to condone violence,” said Dwayne Spikes. “You can’t even kill a bug around this dude and he would say, ‘Cuz what are you doing?’”

Spikes, also known as Dee Roze, says Goodman lived out his dreams as a musician.

“He actually cried that night after hearing himself in the studio,” he said, referring to a studio session in the late 2000s.

In recent years, the group recorded new music.

Spikes says Goodman also served in the Navy with Goodman’s family, saying he recently left the military.

As time went on, Spikes says they always stayed in touch.

“We couldn’t go a week without talking. When he was in the Navy, it was tough because we’re used to talking, him and my brothers,” he said.

Spikes says the violence must stop.

“It’s time for us to come together as a people, man; killing is not the way. Love is going to save all. We got this man gone. We got the guy, or girl, or whoever did this gone from their family. So, we got to stop this, man. We’re hurting people and we shouldn’t do that,” he said.”

There is also a funny memory, he says he’ll always remember.

“I never forget this funny moment. We ended up at Puffy’s house in LA. This is the same trip we met Jimmy Iovine as well,” Spikes said. “Man, that joker was on a high. He was like, ‘Cuz, we about to do this. I told you. I got your back cuz.’ He was always the life of the party.”

WBTV asked police on scene what led up to the shooting and whether they made any arrests, but they would not give an answer.

Using CMPD’s crime mapping software to do a search of all violent crimes within a half-mile radius of this location shows that, since June 1, more than a dozen violent crimes ranging from armed robbery to aggravated assault with a gun took place.

It is a heavily traveled area just off the interstate and there is also a middle school just about a block away.

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