A 39-year-old man has been charged in connection with a shooting that left a three-year-old boy seriously injured Sunday night in east Charlotte. According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, the incident occurred around 8 p.m. in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Sloping Oaks Road, near North Sharon Amity Road.
Officers responding to reports of gunfire found the child suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to a nearby hospital with serious injuries, police said. Investigators later identified the suspect as James Raeford of Huntersville. According to court documents, Raeford allegedly fired a gun into a 2015 GMC Savana G2500 van with two occupants inside.
One of the bullets struck the young child, who was seated inside the vehicle. Authorities have not released details on what led to the shooting or whether the suspect knew the victims. However, police said Raeford’s actions appeared deliberate and reckless.
Raeford was arrested and charged with multiple felony counts, including assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, and six counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied property. He is currently being held at the Mecklenburg County Jail without bond, as per WBTV.
Police confirmed that Raeford is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Tuesday, October 21. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has not released an update on the child’s condition, but described the injuries as life-threatening at the time of the incident. Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting and are asking witnesses or anyone with surveillance footage to come forward.
The quiet residential area where the shooting occurred was rattled by the violence, with neighbors expressing shock that a child was caught in the crossfire. “It’s heartbreaking to hear a baby got hurt like that,” said one nearby resident. “You just don’t expect something like this to happen where you live.”
This marks the latest in a series of gun violence incidents across Charlotte involving children this year, prompting renewed calls for community awareness and stricter gun safety measures.
As the investigation continues, police are urging the public to contact Crime Stoppers with any information that could help determine the motive behind the shooting. Raeford remains in custody as prosecutors prepare to present the case before a Mecklenburg County judge.