A mom pleads for help in son’s fatal 2006 shooting
The mother of Alan Stevens, a 24-year-old fatally shot after opening the door to his south Charlotte apartment in 2006, joined with police Tuesday in pleading with the public for help in finding his killer.
“Alan was a friend to everybody, his birthday was just this past Friday, and whoever killed him, that mom needs to be very thankful that she can still say happy birthday to their son,” Teri Mayo said amid tears at a news conference at Charlotte-Mecklenburg police headquarters. “I can’t say happy birthday to (mine). I send him balloons with notes of love.
“But I know there are people out there who saw something, they heard something,” Mayo said as her husband, Terry, stood beside her. “And just think, nine years ago this happened. Whoever saw that, you’re a parent. Give the police anything you heard, anything you saw, because someday it could be your child, and you won’t be able to say happy birthday to them.”
Police said Stevens was at home with some friends when someone knocked on the door. Alan answered and was confronted by an armed man who tried to force his way into the apartment, police said.
Stevens fought the intruder, pushing him out the front door. As they fought outside the door, another male shot Stevens several times, police said. One of the assailants was wearing a red hoodie.
Stevens was pronounced dead several hours later at Carolinas Medical Center.
“At his funeral, I can’t tell you how many people came up and said, ‘Alan let me live with him because I didn’t have a place to go,’” Teri Mayo said. “Anyone who needed anything, he was there for them.
“Step up, be that person that Alan was,” she said, adding that her son fought forest fires with the Jobs Corps. “Help somebody else. Help us find out who really did this.”
CMPD Detective David Osorio urged anyone with information about the shooting to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or the cold case unit hotline at 704-336-2358. Callers can remain anonymous and are eligible for a cash reward.
Joe Marusak: 704-358-5067, @jmarusak
This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 3:30 PM with the headline "A mom pleads for help in son’s fatal 2006 shooting."