CHARLOTTE, NC – A 19-year-old man has been taken into custody after shooting five people at Romare Bearden Park during New Year’s Eve celebrations on Sunday night. The incident occurred during Charlotte Center City Partners’ CLT NYE Uptown 123123 celebration, with crowds gathering to watch fireworks and the lighting of the Queen City Crown.
Police, who were patrolling the park, responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call for service after the suspect discharged multiple rounds into a group of people at around 11:30 p.m. The suspect was quickly identified and taken into custody on the scene. All five victims, four women and one man, suffered non-life-threatening injuries after being shot below the knee.
Following an interview with detectives, the 19-year-old suspect was charged with five counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and one misdemeanor count of going armed to the terror of the public. He has been assigned a $750,000 bond and is expected to appear in court on Tuesday, Jan. 2.
This shooting is not an isolated incident, as it follows a previous similar event less than six months ago when police arrested a dozen juveniles and seized four guns during Fourth of July celebrations at Romare Bearden Park. The situation escalated with fireworks exploding in the crowd and people fighting, showcasing a pattern of violence and chaos during public events at the park.
CMPD has promised to release more information about the shooting and any other disruptions related to the events that took place in Uptown on December 31, 2023, and January 1, 2024. First responders and authorities continue to work to make sense of the scene, and further updates are awaited.