Suspect in shooting of 2 boys caught after chase involving another shooting, CMPD says
A suspect has been charged in the shooting spree that hurt two Charlotte boys, and he was caught during a police chase involving another shooting the same night, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police say.
The suspect was identified as 20-year-old Jatarius Jones, according to a press release.
He accused of firing the shots that critically wounded an 11-year-old boy and grazed a 5-year-old boy Monday in the Sharon Pointe Apartments in east Charlotte, CMPD says.
The 5 year-old was shot in the side and the 11-year-old was shot in the back of the head, CMPD spokesman Rob Tufano said in a press conference Wednesday.
The 11-year-old is still being treated at the hospital and is “doing a lot better” and “will likely survive,” he said.
Investigators say a 911 call involving a shooting into an occupied vehicle on W. Sugar Creek Road is what led to Jones’ arrest, as well as a tip from a citizen at the apartment complex who gave a description information about a vehicle and suspects around the vehicle.
“That vital small piece of information we were supplied Monday night helped us put this puzzle together,” CMPD Lt. Alan Greene said.
The call came in about 7:30 p.m. Monday and the victim gave police a vehicle description that led officers to a suspect vehicle later at the 1700 block of Lasalle Street, officials said.
“As officers approached the vehicle, it left the immediate area at a high rate of speed, and a pursuit ensued. The pursuit ended on Barringer Drive and Pressley Road, where Jatarius Jones, Dominique Daniels and Niyha Durham were detained with the assistance of CMPD’s K9 Unit,” a release said.
Investigators say they later found evidence linking Jones to the shooting of the boys in the 3200 block of Amity Pointe Road that same night, a release said.
As a result, Jones has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury in connection with wounding the two boys, a release said.
He also faces charges of assault by pointing a gun at person, possession of stolen firearm, possession of firearm by convicted felon, and felony conspiracy in connection with the shooting into an occupied vehicle the same night, CMPD said.
The two people arrested with him also face charges in connection with the bullets fired into a vehicle: Daniels is charged with discharge weapon into occupied property, possession of firearm by convicted felon, and felony conspiracy and Durham is charged with assault by pointing a gun at person and felony conspiracy, police said.
Police said Tuesday afternoon the two boys were playing with a pet rabbit on a balcony of the apartment complex when they were hit by bullets. They were not the intended targets of the gunfire, police said.
“You know (being) in this job for 17 years ... you hear multiple 911 calls of people being shot,” Greene said. “Hearing your kid get shot, that can never set in fully.”
This story was originally published September 23, 2020 at 6:44 AM.
