Afternoon Observer | US Marshal shot, killed a man at Charlotte gas station + NC loosens COVID restrictions on gathering

Kristen Kornbluth
·4 min read

Good afternoon, Charlotteans. Kristen here. Today, it’s my honor to introduce you to one of my coworkers — The Charlotte Observer’s marginalized communities reporter, Devna Bose. Devna covers injustice, poverty and other racial issues in the Charlotte area, with a particular focus on Black, brown and LGBTQ+ stories, and she’s with us through a partnership with Report for America. I’ll let her tell the rest of her story here in this week’s installment of our Meet the Reporter series. I’m proud to work with her.

Now, let’s talk about today’s news:

1. US Marshal shot, killed a man at Charlotte gas station, sources say

LaTannya Jennings, of New York, center, is comforted by others near the gas station where Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police were investigating the scene of a shooting Tuesday, March 23, 2021. The shooting was at DenÕs Mart at the corner of The Plaza and Parkwood Ave. in Charlotte, NC. LaTannya Jennings of New York said that her brother, Frankie Jennings was the victim of the shooting. Tuesday was Frankie Jennings, 32nd birthday.

A deputy U.S. Marshal shot and killed a man while attempting to serve him an arrest warrant Tuesday, sources told The Charlotte Observer. The shooting occurred at an East Charlotte gas station near The Plaza and Parkwood Avenue.

The victim’s name was Frankie Jennings, family members said at the scene. His sister, Latannya Jennings, pictured above, said today was his 32nd birthday and she had traveled from New York to celebrate with him.

“I came to North Carolina to celebrate his birthday to find him murdered by police,” she said.

CMPD is conducting a criminal investigation into the shooting, and the name of the deputy marshal has not been released.

This story will continue to be updated as we get more details. Here’s what we know now, from Observer reporters Amanda Zhou, Michael Gordon, Ames Alexander and Alex Andrejev.

2. Gov. Cooper loosens some big COVID rules for NC

On Tuesday, Gov. Roy Cooper announced during a press conference that capacity limitations will lift for NC businesses effective Friday at 5 p.m.

What does that look like?

  • Many businesses — including retail stores, museums and salons — will be able to reopen at full capacity.

  • Other businesses with closer quarters like bars, restaurants, breweries and gyms will be able to open at 75% capacity indoors and 100% capacity outdoors.

  • The indoor mass gathering limit will be 25 people. The outdoor mass gathering limit will remain at 50 people.

At least 32% of North Carolinians are partially vaccinated, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said Tuesday. “We’re making positive progress, but our work is not done just yet,” she said, emphasizing the need to continue practicing social distancing and mask wearing.

Learn more with the Observer’s Catherine Muccigrosso and Hannah Smoot.

3. Which chain is Charlotte’s top grocer?

It’s not Harris Teeter — for the second year in a row. Walmart saw the most sales of any grocer in Charlotte, according to the latest annual report from Chain Store Guide. Walmart took first place from Harris Teeter in 2019, and continues to hold on to it after a competitive year for grocers, as reported by the Observer’s Catherine Muccigrosso.

By the numbers:

  • Walmart enjoyed 21.1% of the Charlotte market share last year.

  • Matthews-based supermarket Harris Teeter came in second with a 16.5% market share.

  • Food Lion took third place with 15.4% of the market share.

4. NC high schoolers painted racist slur on rival’s school spirit rock ahead of game

Police are investigating after vandals painted a slur along with their high school’s logo onto the spirit rock of a rival, as reported by the Observer’s Joe Marusak. It happened before Lincolnton High School’s Friday night homecoming football game on, Lincolnton Principal Preston Clarke said in a statement on Facebook, written with West Lincoln High School Principal Nathan McLean.

McLean said the group that did it “will be dealt with appropriately” after an investigation by the schools, and that a report has been filed with the Lincolnton Police Department.

“This senseless act and lack of awareness has invoked a lot of emotion throughout our school community,” Clarke said. “... The act of racism has no place in our school system.”

Panthers news: Offensive guard John Miller will be re-signed

After finishing a one-year deal, Panthers’ right guard John Miller is coming back for another one. The Panthers agreed to terms with Miller on a one-year deal Tuesday, per a source close to the decision. His re-signing helps fill a need on the Panthers’ offensive line — which began the free agency period with three holes to fill.

  • Miller is 6-foot-3, 315 pounds and started in 14 games last season.

  • He missed two games during the season with an injury.

Observer reporter Jonathan M. Alexander has all the details here.

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