14-year-old and adult charged after 5-year-old Charlotte girl is fatally shot
A teenager and an adult have been charged in connection with the shooting death of a 5-year-old Charlotte girl Wednesday night, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police.
Amani Barringer was shot in a northeast Charlotte apartment near the Hidden Valley community, police said. She would have turned 6 in December.
CMPD said Thursday morning that a 14-year-old male who was at the scene when police arrived has been charged with involuntary manslaughter “for his involvement.” In the afternoon, police said they also charged an adult who lived at the apartment for failing to secure a firearm in order to protect a minor.
“That person’s information will not be released to protect the identity of a 14-year-old juvenile charged in this case,” police said in a release.
Officials say the incident happened around 9:28 p.m. Wednesday in the 6700 block of Elgywood Lane, which is in the Maple Run Apartments.
Officers reported finding the 5-year-old girl with a life-threatening gunshot wound, and she was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital, the release said.
Two other people — ages 14 and 15 — were in the home at the time of the shooting, the Observer’s news partner WBTV reported.
“Until the community cares, nothing’s going to change,” CMPD Maj. Ryan Butler told WBTV at the scene. “I’m telling you now that there is a 5-year-old girl who is deceased who was alive this morning. Regardless of what your worldview is, this should cause you to be sick to your stomach.”
A spokesperson for Middleton Meyers, the company that owns the apartment complex, said they are “saddened about the tragic death” and the company is cooperating with CMPD.
Amani’s death is the 84th homicide in Charlotte this year. This time last year — which was the city’s worst year for homicides in a decade — there had been 69 killings.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or http://charlottecrimestoppers.com/.
This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 6:32 AM with the headline "14-year-old and adult charged after 5-year-old Charlotte girl is fatally shot."
