Juvenile charged after allegedly shooting and killing a teen near a Charlotte park
A 16-year-old juvenile was arrested in connection to a February homicide, said a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department press release.
The alleged suspect, whose name was not released, was arrested for the murder of Melakah Corbette, 17, and charged with murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon.
In the early morning of Feb. 1, officers responded to a call about an assault with a deadly weapon near Pitts Drive. Upon arrival, officers found Corbette dead with multiple gunshot wounds near L.c. Coleman Park. Corbette was pronounced dead on the scene by MEDIC.
The release said CMPD’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team located and detailed the juvenile, who was then interviewed by detectives.
At the interview’s conclusion, the department said, detectives obtained a secure custody order and then placed the juvenile suspect in the custody of the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice.
Juvenile violent crime in Charlotte
CMPD has previously raised the alarm about increased youth violence and crimes, including those involving shootings. Officers arrested 3,016 youths in 2023, a 34% increase from 2022.
More juveniles were both victims and suspects of shootings. In 2023, there was an 18% increase from the year before in shootings involving juveniles. Police also named 108 juveniles as suspects in shootings — a 33% increase.
The City Council has previously said it would try to tackle issues with juvenile violence.
The investigation into this case is ongoing, the release said.
