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'Most dangerous human being in Cleveland County' charged in June slaying

SHELBY, N.C. — A teenager who was already in the Cleveland County Jail has been tied to a homicide from earlier this summer.

Investigators served murder warrants on Monday to Malik Jones from inside the jail.

They said Jones shot and killed Artist Torrence on Melrose Drive on June 13.

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Jones was being held in jail on other unrelated charges, including possession of a weapon of mass destruction, and has been connected to more than a dozen shootings in Shelby over the summer.

Since the beginning of July, there have been 13 shootings reported in Shelby:

  • July 5 - Shooting into an occupied dwelling or moving vehicle at 832 Churchill Drive
  • July 5 - Assault with a deadly weapon at 1300 S. Morgan Street
  • July 10 - Assault with a deadly weapon at 109 Chestnut Street
  • July 14 - Shooting into occupied property at 412 W. Graham Street
  • July 21 - Assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflicting serious injury at 1316 Concord Street
  • July 22 - Shooting into an occupied property at 824 Hamrick Street
  • July 23 - Assault with a deadly weapon at 211 N. Morgan Street
  • July 25 - Shooting into an occupied dwelling or moving vehicle at 304 Broad Street
  • July 25 - Shooting into an occupied dwelling or moving vehicle at 902 Kearney Street
  • July 28 - Shooting into an occupied dwelling or moving vehicle at 1331 Newton Street
  • July 28 - Shooting into an occupied dwelling at 304 Broad Street
  • July 29 - Shooting into an occupied dwelling or moving vehicle at 342 Grice Street
  • July 29 - Assault inflicting serious bodily injury on Grice Street

[ALSO READ: Police investigating after 19-year-old shot, killed at Shelby home]

The Cleveland County assistant district attorney has called the 16-year-old the most dangerous human being in the county.

Jones will head to court on Tuesday to answer to the new murder charge.