Multiple shooters ‘targeted’ Charlotte home where 8-year-old was shot, police say
An 8-year-old girl is in the hospital with bullet fragments in her head after multiple shooters fired dozens of rounds into her home last week. Now, authorities are offering a reward for information on the suspects who shot her.
Olivia Velez was shot while sleeping in her home in the University Park neighborhood on April 24 just after 1 a.m. Cars were also shot into along Burbank Drive, according to her family and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police.
As of Wednesday afternoon, no one had been arrested for the shooting and at a press conference CMPD urged the public to come forward with any information.
There were other people in the home at the time of the shooting including nine children and seven adults, CMPD Capt. Matthew Horner said at the press conference Wednesday. He said police believe the house was intentionally targeted but would not say why.
“The house was shot into dozens of times by multiple shooters,” Horner said. “Because of the intentional reckless act of multiple individuals Olivia is still in the hospital and recovering.”
The department announced the Charlotte division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Investigations will offer $2,500, and Charlotte Crime Stoppers is offering an additional $5,000 for information.
Horner said all of the detectives in CMPD’s Metro Division are working on this case.
“As a father of two kids ... it should infuriate anybody out there that’s proud to be a citizen of Charlotte that these people are not in custody,” Horner said. “It is shameful that someone knows something and we have not gotten enough information to close this case.”
Horner said it is unclear what Olivia’s quality of life will look like in the future as she recovers.
“A parent should not have to worry that their child goes to bed Sunday night before school Monday morning, and in the middle of the night, their house gets shot into,” Horner said.
Olivia — a “girly little girl” with a big heart and a big mouth — did absolutely nothing to deserve the shooting, the girl’s grandmother, Joretha Campbell, previously told The Charlotte Observer.
“Whoever did this is cruel,” she said. “And whoever did this didn’t believe in God, clearly.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or charlottecrimestoppers.com.
Charlotte Observer Reporter Julia Coin contributed to this report.
