Neighbors shocked after fatal shooting on Shady Lane

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Members of a Neighborhood Watch group are shocked that a deadly shooting happened in their community.

Willie Byars, 38, was killed Saturday night at a house on Shady Lane. Some neighbors told Eyewitness News they still feel safe in the Grove Park neighborhood despite the shooting.

"Very shocking. We are probably one of the safest neighborhoods in all of Charlotte," said M.K. Brennan.

Brennan said the as the Neighborhood Watch coordinator, she’s only talked about a lack of crime in the area for years.

"I don't know the circumstances. And we, like anyone else, are interested in finding out what those are. But, we are deeply saddened that this has happened,” Brennan said.

Police said they came out to shady lane on an assault with a deadly weapon call at little before 8:30 p.m.  Saturday. When they got here, they found Byars dead.

They have not released any other information about what led up to the shooting.

"I heard two shots, I think,” said neighbor Rhonda Lackey.

Lackey lives next door to the house where Byars was shot, but she didn't know him.

"From what I understand it's a boarding house. So people are in and out. I don't know. I don't socialize with them or anything,” Lackey said.

Police canvassed the neighborhood after the shooting to find out what neighbors knew.

"That's not normal. That's usually not happening around here. But, it can happen anywhere," Lackey said.

Some neighbors said it hasn't shaken them.

"This is so outside the norm that I don't think we're at risk," Brennan said.

Channel 9 also reached out to the family of the victim. They did not want to talk about the crime.

WSOC