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3 teens charged after gunfire erupts near NC Music Factory

By Tina Terry, wsoctv.com
By Tina Terry, wsoctv.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Three teenagers have been charged after five people were shot Friday night near the N.C. Music Factory, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officials said.

CMPD detectives were conducting the shooting investigation in the 800 block of Hamilton Street in the Central Division after the shooting call came in at 9:59 p.m. on Friday.

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Officers said a woman and two men were shot in the parking lot and were taken to Carolinas Medical Center with potentially life-threatening injuries.

A short time later, officers responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call at the intersection of Spring and Callahan streets.

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A man in a vehicle who was shot at the N.C. Music Factory drove himself to that intersection, police said.

Paramedics then took him to CMC with non-life-threatening injuries.

Officers were then notified of a fifth victim who drove himself to Presbyterian Hospital with a non-life threatening gunshot wound.

Officers located a vehicle that was leaving the scene and conducted a traffic stop. The occupants were detained and weapons were located inside the vehicle, according to police.

Detectives interviewed the occupants, Chris Ardrey and Cario Davis, and later charged them for their involvement in the case.

Ardrey, 19, was charged with armed robbery, attempted armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, possession of firearm by a convicted felon, possession of stolen firearm and alter or remove a serial number from firearm.

Davis, 18, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, armed robbery, attempted armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, possession of firearm by a convicted felon, possession of stolen firearm and alter or remove a serial number from firearm.

Detectives will also charge Jason Farmer, 19, in the case. Farmer was shot and is still at Carolinas Medical Center with serious injuries. Once he is released from the hospital, Farmer will be charged with armed robbery, attempted armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and possession of firearm by convicted felon.

Detectives believe that there was an altercation that started inside Queen City Underground between several people and that’s when they started shooting at each other and the gunfire spilled out into the parking lot. Police said those involved then exited the business and continued shooting at one another.

“I have a recording studio and one of the guys stepped out to smoke a cigarette and he was shot. They took him to the hospital in a car,” witness Deroy Roland said.

He said another innocent person was near the VBGB beer hall at the N.C. Music Factory when she was hit by a stray bullet.

Monica Cowan, who spoke to Channel 9 on the phone Saturday, was outside VBGB when frightened customers started running.

“They were stunned. It was really all the guys just pushing their girls trying to get them out of the way, because it seemed like we could have been in the line of fire,” she said.

The N.C. Music Factory management released a statement praising security and CMPD officers for protecting crowds at the sold out events at the venue.

"This type of behavior will not be tolerated at the N.C. Music Factory and the fact that these individuals were placed in custody in under 60 minutes we hope further sends a firm statement that crime on our campus will not go unpunished,” management said.

They also praised CMPD's swift response.

This is an ongoing, active investigation and additional charges are pending.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a Homicide Unit detective.

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