Shooting at homes & cars: A rising hazard + Weigh in on the uptown Truist sign

Good afternoon, Charlotte. Kristen here. Ready or not, holiday drinks are beginning to roll out. In preparation for seasonally-appropriate imbibing, Charlotte tiki-themed bar The Royal Tot is getting a makeover. During the holiday season, the Belmont bar will be one of two exclusive Sippin’ Santa bars in North Carolina. Get more of the festive details here with CharlotteFive’s Melissa Oyler.

1. Special report: Shootings at homes & cars are a rising hazard in Charlotte

On Tuesday, Sept. 7, four people unloaded nearly 150 rounds into a Charlotte home. Asiah Figueroa, a 3-year-old sleeping inside, was shot and killed. Many were shocked by the violence, caught on a home surveillance camera, but such assaults are not rare in Charlotte.

Since 2017, police have investigated more than 3,200 cases of people firing guns into occupied buildings or vehicles, an Observer analysis of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police data found — nearly two per day. Those most at risk live in neighborhoods bordering Interstate 85 just west or north of uptown.

The shootings have increased in recent years, data show. Last year, police reported more than 900 — a 47% increase since 2019 and an 88% increase from 2017. This year is on pace to be nearly as violent.

Read our special report from the Observer’s Gavin Off and Jonathan Limehouse to learn more about the issue.

More from the report:

‘I feel broken.’ Charlotte mother grapples after daughter was shot, killed in her car by Jonathan Limehouse

• Brandy Wynn lost her daughter after a 2020 armed assault in west Charlotte. It was one of 3,000 shootings into occupied dwellings or vehicles in Charlotte since 2017. “I feel broken,” said Wynn, 38.

‘Take the blinders off.’ Charlotte groups fight to stop shootings into homes, cars by Gavin Off

• As shootings into occupied buildings and vehicles increase, local government and nonprofit leaders have launched a number of efforts to respond to the growing violence. Here’s what they’ve been working on.

2. A year after Truist slapped its sign on the skyline, has it grown on you?

One year ago this month, Truist placed its 980-square-foot nameplates and 558-square-foot logos on top of an uptown tower.

When the bank did this, it was meant to celebrate the historic $66 billion merger of BB&T and SunTrust. However, not everybody loved the shift, with some Charlotteans taking to social media to roast the new signs.

So, Charlotte: Now that you’ve had a year to mull it over, how do you feel about it?

If you’d like to make your voice here, take our survey here about your opinion of the signage. We’ll report out what you all think in a later story, so keep an out for that!

3. Charlotte high school gym may be named for principal who died

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ board is expected to vote to rename the gymnasium at Harding University High School to “Dr. Eric T. Ward, Sr. Athletic Center” in honor of the school’s former principal who died in September.

“Dr. Ward’s commitment was unparalleled, and he was a fearless leader who will be greatly missed,” Acquanetta Edmond, the superintendent of the Northwest Learning Community, wrote in a letter endorsing the change. “His impact in the schools and the community was beyond the schoolhouse.”

Ward was 46 when he died. The cause of his death has not been shared publicly.

Learn more with the Observer’s Anna Maria Della Costa.

4. Unpacking Hornets’ 5-game losing streak

The Hornets haven’t been doing amazingly recently. What’s up with that? The Observer’s Rod Boone unpacks the last several games and discusses what may be holding the team back.

For example, last season, the Hornets were one of the better teams in the league at making the last minutes of the game count. So far this season, they haven’t pulled that off. In addition, a few key players are underperforming in ways that make it really hard for the team to win.

Dive in deeper to what might be going on for the team with Boone here.

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This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 3:31 PM.