‘He’s so much more than a number.’ Family grieves 14-year-old homicide victim.

At 14, Terreon Geter had a spirited personality and enjoyed listening to music and playing football at Ranson Middle School. He would have been a freshman in high school this fall.

His older sister Rotisha Geter described him as “first and foremost, a very loving kid,” who was funny and passionate. She also remembers his love for video games, and above all, his family.

But on June 30, he was fatally shot near an arcade on Beatties Ford Road. There have been no arrests in the case, the third homicide in 2020 in which a victim was under 16 years old.

Terreon’s death comes in the middle of a violent year for Charlotte. The city has had at least 54 homicides so far this year, including 15 in June alone.

Terreon’s family wants him to be remembered for his life, not his death, his sister said. “He’s so much more than a number and a statistic,” she said. His sister and others who loved Terreon are desperate for justice and an end to violence in their area.

Police say an altercation took place near the Busy Arcade at around 1:30p.m. in the 3200 block of Beatties Ford Road. Geter and one other victim were shot. The other victim was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

A Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s deputy was off duty nearby when the shots were fired, police say. The deputy ran towards the scene and called for help. CMPD said officers found Geter outside the arcade with an apparent gunshot wound when they arrived.

He was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead shortly after.

Terreon lived in Charlotte with his older sister, mother and young niece. “He was just an amazing person,” his sister said in an interview.

Rotisha Geter held back tears as she spoke of her younger brother, but at times she laughed warmly as she relived the years they had together. “I remember he was so happy when he finally grew taller than me, his older sister,” she said.

She laughed again while recalling the hours she and Terreon spent playing Fortnite. “He would get so loud when we lost,” she said.

Terreon was a talented football player and was well-liked at school, his sister said. His cousin Shawncody Hanton described him as a people person with a laid back attitude and smooth demeanor.

“He was a bright young man,” Hanton said, “It was hard not to like him.”

Rotisha Geter emphasized the impact Terrion had on those around him. “They’re dedicating a mural to him at his middle school that they’re gonna paint for him,” she said, “that’s how much the community loved him.”

A spokesperson for Ranson Middle School confirmed that students and staff have discussed a mural for Terreon, but no plans have been finalized.

A rock at the school was painted in his honor on Monday, according to a post his sister made on Facebook.

Shang Hopkins, Terreon’s football coach and teacher at Ranson Middle, also posted on his Facebook in honor of him. “I coached you, mentored you, defended you, now I mourn you. Rest well my son,” Hopkins wrote.

Another post shows Hopkins outside the arcade where Terreon was killed. He writes that Terreon’s memory will help strengthen his fight against gun violence. Hopkins wants to open a community center on Beatties Ford Road near where the shooting occured, he said, to offer support for youth in the area.

Many other community members felt compelled to honor Terreon and speak out against the violence that has taken place along Beatties Ford Road in recent weeks. On Friday, about 40 people gathered to march down Beatties Ford, ending near the strip mall where Terreon was shot and killed.

More than 80% of the city’s homicide victims were killed by gunfire, according to a Charlotte Observer analysis.

Of the 54 homicides that have occurred in 2020 so far, 12 victims were younger than 20 years old.

Sixteen of this year’s homicides took place in a roughly eight mile stretch north of uptown from Freedom Drive to N. Tryon Street, data show. These deaths include Geter’s homicide and four others that happened just down the street at an impromptu block party on June 22.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has not released additional information on the circumstances of Geter’s homicide. On Monday, a CMPD spokesperson said there have been no updates in the investigation.

CMPD asks anyone with information about the incident to call 704-432-TIPS or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.