Woman attacked outside Amelie's in NoDa, police said

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — McKenna Smith was inside Amelie’s in NoDa when her mom said she heard gunshots early Sunday morning.

Smith said her mom grabbed her arm so both of them could duck for cover.

Someone reported the gunshots to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, and when officers arrived, they found a woman in the parking lot of the cafe and bakery who had been pistol-whipped.

Investigators believe the assault was random.

Smith recalled the massive chaos inside Amelie's.

She said there was screaming, and at one point, they were instructed to move away from the windows.

"Every time I close my eyes, I'm back in Amélie's, and that's a really scary thought to have,” Smith said. “But I'm also really grateful that I'm OK, and my family's OK, and I hope that the victim is OK."

Police said the victim left with another woman and headed to the hospital.

The woman’s condition is unknown.

Statement from Amelie’s:

"Early Sunday morning, an assault and shooting occurred in the parking area shared by Amélie’s French Bakery & Café’s NoDa location. While the altercation did not happen at Amélie’s, the attentive staff alerted customers to move away from the doors and windows as the situation played out. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt during the incident and the local police immediately jumped into action. 

Mary Jayne Wilson, Director of Operations at Amélie’s said, “We are shocked and saddened by the recent incident that occurred in the parking lot area outside Amélie’s NoDa location. We’ve been part of this community for over 9 years and have always felt safe alongside our business neighbors. We are thankful no one was seriously injured and the situation was handled quickly by local authorities. Our staff quickly enacted our emergency policy and procedures to ensure the safety of our staff and customers inside our doors. In addition to assisting CMPD as needed, we’ve reached out to the property management company for the shopping center to increase security and ensure the ongoing safety of all of our patrons."

Cox Media Group