A string of Charlotte shootings on July 9 left one person dead and several others injured. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said they arrested two people, a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old, in connection with the shooting spree.
Police described the shootings as "random," but said with these two arrests, they are not looking for any other suspects.
"These were brazen crimes. These were crimes that put our community at risk and created a safety hazard," Chief Johnny Jennings said, and it was "all hands on deck" for his officers.
"They took this as a threat to the safety of the citizens of Charlotte," he said.
Officers added more patrols around the area where the shootings happened, said Deputy Chief Tonya Arrington. The case came together early Thursday morning when one of those officers pulled over a car that she said was considered suspicious.
The officer found the 16-year-old suspect in the car with a stolen gun, Arrington said. She said forensic testing had linked that gun to three of the shootings so far.
"The 16-year-old juvenile intended on continuing his violent crime spree," she said.
After police arrested the 16-year-old, they connected the shootings to the other suspect, Carlos Roberto Diaz, 18, Arrington said. CMPD and the FBI arrested Diaz later Thursday.
Police said the shootings happened on Statesville Avenue, Lasalle Street, Catherine Simmons Drive, Hilary Circle and Kingsford Drive on Tuesday.
Just after 1 a.m., officers were called to a shooting on Statesville Avenue near Tipton Drive, where someone fired a gun into a vehicle. One person died, police said. Then, between 1 a.m. and 1:30 a.m., there were three more shootings reported in the metro area.
On Lasalle Street near Newland Road, police say a biker was shot but not injured. Shortly after, officers were called to a shooting on Catherine Simmons Drive near Beatties Ford Road, where a large group of people said someone drove by and fired a gun multiple times in their direction. A nearby home was also shot into, and a woman inside was hit, police say. The woman is expected to be OK.
Just before 1:30 a.m., officers say a bicyclist was shot on Hilary Circle near Arrowood Road. The bicyclist went to the hospital with minor injuries. While looking around in the area, police came across a home on Kingsford Drive that was shot at. No one inside the home was hurt.
The juvenile is charged with first-degree murder and Arrington said she expects more charges to be filed. Diaz faces multiple charges, including murder and five counts of attempted murder.