CHARLOTTE — Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said Wednesday during a news conference that they are seeing a disturbing trend involving gun violence and children.
“Why do young people have these guns? How do they get them? Where are they getting them from? Why aren’t parents doing something?” said Maj. Brian Foley with CMPD.
Just a week ago, a 10-year-old was shot at a car wash. She’s still in the hospital in critical condition.
On March 15, a 13-year-old and 14-year-old were shot in south Charlotte. The 14-year-old later died.
On Feb. 18, a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed on Mallard Park Drive in northeast Charlotte. On Tuesday, police said they charged a 15-year-old for the murder.
Violent crimes among children is a trend we’re seeing in Charlotte. CMPD said crime overall is slightly up in 2022.
(Click on the graphic below for details on the latest crime statistics from CMPD)
Specifically, police said violent crime is up 2%, property crime is up 1%, aggravated assaults are up 5%, vehicle thefts are up 11%, and burglaries are up 7%.
“I get ill. I get sick, physically sick to my stomach. It makes me ill. Kids should not have to go through life worrying. Parents should not have to go through life worrying about whether or not my kids outdoors or not ... if they’re going to get shot,” Foley said.
Channel 9′s John Paul asked how criminals are getting the guns. Police said they’re mainly stolen from cars.
“Why would someone leave a firearm in an unlocked car is beyond me. But the owner of that gun, if you have any heart in you whatsoever and you care about people, you got to understand, if you don’t take care of that firearm, it can kill someone else. It can kill a child and we’ve seen that multiple times this year,” Foley said.
During the new conference, CMPD also broke down other crimes categories that have declined, saying homicides are down 5%, rapes are down 23% and robberies are down 5%.
(WATCH BELOW: Police: Teens assault innocent people, ram stolen cars into gun store during 4-hour crime spree)
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