‘What the heck?’: Rifle fired from moving car near Music Factory, warrant says
Witnesses told Channel 9 they hid after hearing gunshots near the AvidXchange Music Factory. The area is right outside Uptown Charlotte, and is popular for events like concerts and comedy shows.
According to new warrants obtained by Channel 9′s Hunter Sáenz, detectives rushed to the area after the shooting was reported, and that led to a police chase.
In the warrant, police said they were called after several shots rang out. Witnesses claimed someone was shooting at people with a rifle from a car, putting lives in danger.
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One man, who didn’t want to show his face, told Sáenz he was working near the Music Factory two weeks ago when he heard six to seven gunshots.
“At first I was like -- you know, I ducked and was like what the heck?” he said.
According to the search warrant, it happened July 23 around 7:30 p.m. just outside the popular Music Factory, VBGB Beer Hall, and other businesses. People nearby called 911 after hearing the gunfire.
Witnesses told police they saw two men pulling on the door handles of cars parked in the area trying to break into them. According to search warrants, witnesses said the men then started “shooting a rifle from a moving vehicle towards citizens.”
“In that area -- it’s pretty abnormal, considering the area that it is,” the man told Sáenz.
Police said that when they arrived, the suspects sped off with ski masks on their heads. The warrant noted police chased them with “lights and sirens activated,” caught up with them, and took them in for questioning.
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Jaurion Springs was arrested and faces several charges, including assault with a deadly weapon and eluding police.
Nobody was hurt in the shooting; it’s something the man said he’s thankful for, knowing so many people and families are usually in the area.
“Bullets don’t have faces,” he said. “People just wake up and choose violence. When do they go back to caring?” he asked.
That witness told Sáenz a bullet hit a window of a nearby building.
Police now plan to search that suspect’s phone to piece together why this happened and what they were doing there in the first place.
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