Crime & Courts

Teen suspect in fatal park killing arranged item buy on social media, police say

A 16-year-old was fatally shot in this parking lot at Hartsell Park in Concord on Thursday, April 23, 2026, police said. Another 16-year-old was hospitalized.
A 16-year-old was fatally shot in this parking lot at Hartsell Park in Concord on Thursday, April 23, 2026, police said. Another 16-year-old was hospitalized. Street View image from November 2022. © 2026 Google

A teen suspect in Thursday’s fatal shooting at a public park in Concord arranged on social media to buy an item at the park from the teen he’s accused of killing, police said Saturday.

Yanixan Arellanes Silva, 17, was arrested and charged as an adult with first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and failure to report a death, according to a city of Concord news release.

Police haven’t disclosed the name of the 16-year-old who was pronounced dead at the scene in the parking lot at Hartsell Park, on Sunderland Road Southwest just before 5:30 p.m.

A 16-year-old who went to the park with the teen who was killed is being treated at a hospital, police said.

A brawl preceded the shooting, police say

Police did not disclose the item Silva intended to buy from the other teens.

“A brawl broke out and the suspect fired a gun at the victims, killing one and seriously injuring a second,” police said in the news release.

Police urged anyone with information about the shooting to call the department at 704-920-5000 or to leave an anonymous tip on the Cabarrus Area Crime Stoppers line at 704-932-7463.

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Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
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