Charlotte holds Day of Remembrance amid rising homicide numbers

CHARLOTTE — Families gathered in Charlotte for the Day of Remembrance program to honor all victims of homicide as the city copes with a recent surge in violence. Charlotte has recorded 66 homicides so far this year.

The remembrance event followed a particularly violent week in the city, which included a double homicide and the death of a 4-year-old killed by a stray bullet over the weekend.

Chief Estella Patterson of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department spoke to attendees, emphasizing that law enforcement requires broad community assistance to curb violent crime.

“Now I’m not naive to believe that CMPD can do it alone; we need everyone coming together,” Patterson said.

Keynote speaker Crystal Ruth addressed attendees, sharing her journey after losing two family members to gun violence in 2007 and 2024.

Ruth explained that it took significant time to build up the courage to speak publicly and advocate for affected families.

“Yeah, it’s been pretty tough to see all these families that are going through what we went through,” Ruth said. “I just want people to know you’re not the only family that’s going through that.”

Community support networks, including Mothers of Murdered Offspring and the CMPD Homicide Support Group, have provided guidance to grieving families across Charlotte.

Lisa Crawford, a leader with Mothers of Murdered Offspring, recalled Ruth’s early involvement with the organization before she became a speaker.

“I know she would come and not say a word, and now to get up in front of a group, it makes me proud,” Crawford said.

The event marked the first Day of Remembrance for Candace Woodson Brown, whose 17-year-old son, Victor Ramirez, was killed in May 2025.

“My baby was two weeks away from his High School Graduation and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Brown said.

Reflecting on her ongoing struggle with grief, she added, “Every single day, I just want these kids to realize that these guns are permanent.”

Several participants noted that recent violent incidents in the area force grieving families to relive the trauma of losing their own loved ones.

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