EXCLUSIVE: Detective reveals new details about 7-year-old's unsolved shooting death

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The lead detective in a 7-year-old boy's unsolved murder opened up exclusively to Channel 9’s Allison Latos Friday.

Kevin Rodas was shot and killed at a birthday party in southwest Charlotte on Labor Day last year.

Detective Todd Burkard talked to Latos about his overwhelming frustration and his personal stake trying to bring the killer to justice.

Burkard took Latos back to the crime scene on Fieldvale Place Friday and revealed new information about the case.

As an officer and a father, he is frustrated that no one is behind bars and told Latos what he needs to make an arrest so the case doesn’t go cold.

“Is this case at a dead-end?” Latos asked.

“This case is not at a dead-end. We still have more people we’d like to talk to,” Burkard said.

Burkard said they recovered several shell casings in the woods. He believes the shooter opened fire on foot with an assault rifle.

“Right at the top of the driveway. So the person standing there has a huge vantage point. There is no streetlight here. So they're at an elevated level shooting right down at where everyone was,” Burkard said.

Burkard is frustrated and he said he needs people with crucial information to come forward, but no one is talking to police.

Kevin's mother told Channel 9 last week that she now lives with constant heartache of losing her son.

As a parent, Burkard can imagine her pain.

“I want to tell her that we know who killed her son, but I can't do that. I would love to be able to say that to her and hopefully one day we will be able to tell her that,” Burkard said.

Burkard wouldn't reveal the specific type of assault rifle used in Kevin's murder but he told Latos every time police recover a similar firearm they test it to see if it matches.

More than a year later, they are still searching for the gun and Kevin's killer.

The little boy's murder was one of five over Labor Day weekend last year.

Four of those cases, including his, remain unsolved.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information that leads to arrests in any of those cases. Please call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

Cox Media Group