6 teens charged with murder over THC vape pens at Lake Norman park, police say
Six teenagers were charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a teen during an attempted robbery involving THC vape pens at a popular Lake Norman park Monday night, police said.
Police have not named the teen killed at Mazeppa Park in Mooresville. Iredell EMS responders pronounced the teen dead on scene, according to a Mooresville Police Department news release Tuesday.
A second young person police identified only as “a juvenile” was taken to Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital with a gunshot wound. Police didn’t release the person’s condition.
Gunfire erupted in the park around 8:30 p.m. Monday, police said.
“The shooting was part of an attempted armed robbery for THC vape pens,” police said. “The suspects arranged a meeting at Mazeppa Park under the premise of purchasing THC vape pens.”
Both parties involved in the meeting fired shots, and one left the park in a car before officers arrived, police said.
Police name suspects in killing
Statesville police found the car “shortly after the shooting,” according to the Mooresville news release.
Police charged Statesville residents Bryan Fernandez Acevedo, 19, Jovany Jiminez, 17, Jonathan Jiminez, 17, Christopher Chacon Ventura, 16, and Christopher Palencia Lazo, 16, as adults with murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Christofer Noe Flores, 17, of Statesville, was arrested after his release from the hospital and was charged as an adult with murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, police said in an update Wednesday.
Two others, Carlos Ezequiel Rodriguez Garcia, 19, and Christian Alexis Gutierrez Chavez, 20, both of Statesville, have been charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, police said.
The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation, Mooresville police said.
Mazeppa Park spans 163 acres off Mazeppa Road and includes baseball and softball fields and multi-purpose fields and courts, along with picnic shelters, a playground, two miles of walking trails and seven miles of mountain biking trails, according to the town website.
Police have not said where in the park the shooting occurred. The park has reopened to the public, police said Wednesday.
This is a developing story.
This story was originally published December 30, 2025 at 1:35 PM.