3-year-old boy killed after 150 gunshots rip through home in North Carolina
Gunmen fired over 150 bullets into a North Carolina home, killing a three-year-old boy as he lay sleeping and also injuring his four-year-old sister.
3-year-old Asiah Figueroa was in bed asleep when a group of teenagers in two cars pulled up outside his great-grandmothers home in Charlotte just before midnight on Tuesday. Asiah was unfortunately shot in the attach and later died in hospital from his injuries, his older sister was hurt in the shooting but her injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
Authorities have said that Asiah's death has been linked to three other shootings in the area that have escalated from a "teenage dispute" between students at a high school in Charlotte.
The police have released two videos which show the gunmen arriving outside the property before opening fire indiscriminately at the house.
Joel McNelly, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Captain said: "Asiah's death should outrage everyone".
"What started out as teenage dispute games has turned into a deadly game that's now taken two lives,"
"What we need is for you to be as outraged about this as we are." Mr McNelly said at a news conference.
Police have confirmed at least one of the suspects in the fatal shooting is believed to be a student at a Charlotte high school. "The string of shootings have some relation to students at Hopewell High School, authorities believe their is a student from North Mecklenburg and Chambers high schools involved," Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD say.
Asiah, his sister and their mother had been staying at his great-grandmother Susie Whitley's house whilst the attack occurred.
Ms Whitley said that she thought the gunmen came with the intention of killing everyone inside with the amount of bullets they fired at her home.
"These people need to be caught and need to get them off the street because they keep shooting at people's houses," Ms Whitley said.
Police have confirmed that they believe Asiah's death is linked to at least three other shootings in Charlotte over the last few days. On Sunday, 16-year-old Jaylen Xavier Foster was found dead in the city whilst two other victims of gunshots were taken to hospital.
A 14-year-old has been arrested and charged with a number of crimes including murder. The night before Asiah was shot to death, there were several other drive-by shootings within a quarter mile radius of Ms Whitley's home.
Shortly after midnight on Tuesday, more shots were fired at a separate home within the same neighbourhood.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles pleaded for the killings to stop.
“These incidents that are taking place that result in the loss of a 3-year-old, it is because someone’s not willing to tell us how to do better, how to stop it,” Ms Lyles said.
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