Man charged with murder in shooting of 3-year-old boy in Charlotte
Police on Saturday announced the arrest of a suspect accused of firing the bullet that killed 3-year-old Asiah Figueroa.
Asiah was asleep when 150 rounds of bullets were fired into his family’s northwest Charlotte home Tuesday.
The suspect, 21-year-old Jacob Lanier, was arrested on Friday, according to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department news release.
Lanier was charged with murder, eight counts of attempted murder, nine counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling and conspiracy to commit murder, police said.
Lanier remained in the Mecklenburg County jail on Saturday without bail.
Family members said Asiah was shot in the head. Police said the child later was pronounced dead at Atrium Health.
Asiah’s 4-year-old sister was grazed by a bullet but will recover, police Chief Johnny Jennings said at a news conference.
“For the rest of her life, she has to realize that she was in the house when her 3-year-old brother was senselessly murdered and taken away from this earth,” the chief said.
According to police, Asiah’s death, the fatal shooting last Sunday of a teenager and several recent gunshot attacks on Charlotte homes, are all believed to be related to disputes among students at Hopewell, North Mecklenburg and Chambers high schools.
Police haven’t disclosed how Lanier may be connected to those disputes.
On Friday, police announced the arrest of another 21-year-old man in connection with Asiah’s death.
Qua’Tonio Stephens was charged on Wednesday with accessory after the fact to murder and felony flee to elude, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police. Stephens was arrested, according to a CMPD news statement, after police stopped his vehicle during a pursuit on Interstate 85 in Charlotte.
Stephens, according to CMPD, also was charged with seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and three counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling in connection with gunfire at a home on Joe Morrison Lane, hours before Asiah’s death.
The shooting that led to the toddler’s death erupted at around 11:45 p.m. in the 2400 block of Richard Rozzelle Drive, a line of single-family homes southwest of Rozzelles Ferry Road and N.C. 16.
Videos from neighbors’ security cameras show multiple cars pulling up in front of a house, then pummeling the residence with dozens of bullets before slowly driving off.