He was a murder suspect – and victim. Now police think they know who shot him

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police on Thursday announced a first-degree murder charge in a chain of violence that started with the September shooting of a Waxhaw teacher.

Michael Mandrell Marble, a 34-year-old Charlotte man, is charged with killing Louis Henry Fuqua, who was found shot to death at the Econo Lodge in the 500 block of Clanton Road on Sept. 12. Fuqua was suspected in the Sept. 9 shooting of Ruijuan Guo, who was a victim of a South End robbery that turned deadly. Guo died of her injuries after Fuqua’s body was found.

Guo was in her fourth year with a Mandarin Immersion Program at Kensington Elementary in Waxhaw. Her shooting, which happened when she and her boyfriend left a concert, drew attention from the Chinese press. Police say robbers pulled a gun on her boyfriend and demanded his wallet, then shot Guo when he didn’t produce it fast enough.

A source told WBTV, the Observer’s news partner, that police believed Fuqua was killed by other suspects “to keep him from talking to police.”

Early Thursday, police reported that Marble had come voluntarily to police headquarters and was charged with first-degree murder after homicide detectives interviewed him. Sheriff’s department records show Marble has been arrested four other times in the last two years on charges that include robbery with a dangerous weapon and assault on a female.

“Detectives have determined that there are additional suspects involved in this case. This is an ongoing, active investigation,” the police statement says.

This story was originally published November 17, 2016 at 6:51 AM with the headline "He was a murder suspect – and victim. Now police think they know who shot him."