Arrest made in deadly March shooting of 19-year-old at Charlotte traffic light

A suspect has been identified and charged in an alleged March drive-by shooting that left a 19-year-old woman dead.

Brianna Stephenson was shot on the morning of March 8 while inside a car at a traffic light at the intersection of Tuckaseegee Road and Freedom Drive.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police say Stephenson was stopped at the light when someone in another car started shooting. The family says a friend they didn’t know was in the car with Stephenson.

Stephenson died at Atrium Health days later due to her injuries.

Wednesday, police said they charged 18-year-old Christopher Chisholm in Stephenson’s killing. Chisholm was identified as a suspect and warrants were issued for his arrest. He was already in custody at the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s office, police say. He faces charges of murder, discharging a firearm into occupied property and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

“Bri is a beautiful young woman, for whom life just started,” James Debusk, Brianna’s grandfather, told WBTV. “I lost my granddaughter because of something stupid. Just driving down the road, and now here she’s going to die.”

Anyone with additional information is urged to call 704-432-TIPS or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

WBTV is The Charlotte Observer’s news partner.

This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 2:08 PM.