Three killed, one wounded in shootings over eight-hour period in Charlotte, CMPD says

Charlotte had three homicides in the past day, all involving men who were fatally shot, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police.

Two of the deaths were linked to the same crime scene, police said.

Charlotte had gone nearly a month without a killing, according to the Observer’s news partner WBTV. The three deaths bring the city’s 2021 homicide total to 17, the station reported.

The shootings occurred at opposite ends of the city between 4:30 pm Sunday and just after midnight, CMPD said.

Investigators say the first shooting happened just before 5 p.m. Sunday in 7000 block of Delta Lake Drive. That is an area south of the intersection of The Plaza and East W.T. Harris Boulevard.

Officers found “an adult male victim with an apparent gunshot wound,” the release said. The victim, who died at the scene, was identified as 18-year-old Milton Howard, CMPD said.

Monday afternoon, police said the “subject responsible for the shooting” had been cooperative during the investigation, but no charges have been filed. Detectives did not have enough information or evidence to indicate more parties were involved, CMPD said.

Deadly shooting in south Charlotte

The second incident was reported at 12:11 a.m. Monday near the 7500 block of Kings Ridge Drive. That’s north of the intersection of South Boulevard and East Arrowood Road. A man died at the scene, police said.

A second man with critical wounds was found at the scene, and taken to a hospital where he later died, police said. “A short time later, a third victim showed up at a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” CMPD said in a release.

The man who died at the scene was identified as Isaiah Jeremiah Doctor-Muhammad, 22, police said. The victim who later died at a hospital was identified as Lee’Vantay Rankin, 27, CMPD said. The person with non-life threatening wounds has not been identified.

Rankin’s family told WBTV that he was a father who would do anything to make his family better.

“My brother was trying to do right,” Darryl Andrews told WBTV. “He didn’t want no harm. He was doing right. And y’all took his life over nothing.”

Police have not said if they have suspects in the south Charlotte case.

Anyone with information on the cases can call CMPD at 704-432-TIPS or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or http://charlottecrimestoppers.com/.