One dead after shootout at Brooklyn Lounge in uptown Charlotte, police say

One person was killed early Sunday in uptown Charlotte during a shootout between two groups at Brooklyn Lounge, 225 N. Caldwell St., police said.

The shooting happened around 12:42 a.m. when officers working off duty in the area heard gunfire, police said.

Police posted notice of the shooting on the social media site X. In a video posted to that account, CMPD Maj. Jesus Rendon said investigators were talking to witnesses and hoped to make an arrest.

Police on Monday identified the man killed as Steven Lee Wheeler, 26.

The shooting follows others in the city’s downtown district, at times in the overnight hours as nightclubs are closing.

Around 1:30 a.m. July 5, two men were killed and one was hospitalized after a shooting in that same block of Caldwell Street.

In March 2022, police were breaking up fights in that same block of Caldwell Street in a parking lot outside Brooklyn Lounge when a man got a rifle and began firing at officers. In that case, Tyler James Drew, then of Rock Hill, pleaded guilty in a deal in August 2023 to possession of a firearm by a felon and appears to have served about one year in state prison, according to court records.

Donovan McGeachy, the listed owner of Brooklyn Lounge, did not respond to texts and a voicemail requesting comment for this story.

This story was originally published September 21, 2025 at 4:18 AM.