Fatal shooting under investigation, the 7th homicide in Charlotte in the past week
Editor’s note: This story was updated with the name of the victim and a suspect.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police is investigating the city’s seventh homicide in the past week.
Around 1:54 p.m. Tuesday, officers found an unidentified victim dead with gunshot wounds in the 3000 block of Reid Avenue in southwest Charlotte while responding to an assault call, according to a CMPD news release.
On Wednesday, CMPD identified the victim as 48-year-old Gary Randolph.
Marquest Latham, 35, has been charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, police said Thursday. He is in the custody of the Meckelenburg County Sheriff’s Office.
The seven-day stretch that started July 13 has been among the deadliest in Charlotte this year with seven homicides, tied with Memorial Day week.
There have been 63 homicides this year, according to a Charlotte Observer homicide database. At this point last year there had been 52, police data shows.
Last week, CMPD reported a 3% increase in violent crime for the first half of 2022, compared with the same period last year. Overall, crime is up 4.3%, police said.
Anyone with information about Tuesday’s shooting can call CMPD at 704-432-8477 (TIPS) or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
If you or someone you know has been directly affected by gun violence, please reach out to the Observer at kcox@charlotteobserver.com.
This story was originally published July 19, 2022 at 5:14 PM.
