Local

Police: Suspect arrested days after man shot, killed in south Charlotte parking lot

By Stephanie Tinoco
By Stephanie Tinoco

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said a suspect has been arrested after a man was shot and killed in a south Charlotte parking lot earlier this month.

Police said they have charged 32-year-old Nicholas Beatty with murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

CMPD said the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, the State Bureau of Investigation and the City of Durham Police helped to find Beatty in Durham, North Carolina.

(Nicholas Beatty)

Officers responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call just after 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 17 in a parking lot on Seventy Seven Center Drive.

[ALSO READ: Iredell Co. man calls accusations of illegal strip club in home 'complete misunderstanding']

Upon arrival, officers found 28-year-old Ervin Kenneth Steward suffering from a gunshot wound and he was rushed to Carolinas Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Family members who spoke to Channel 9's Stephanie Tinoco said Steward was from Durham, but was visiting Charlotte for the NBA All-Star Game.

[CMPD: Man fatally shot after punching woman in face, jumping onto car hood]

During the initial investigation, officers determined the actual shooting took place in another parking lot on Minuet Lane just a few blocks away.

CMPD said after the shooting, a witness drove the victim from the parking lot on Minuet Lane to a parking lot on Seventy Seven Center Drive, which is where officers found them.

There was a large police presence as investigators worked to piece the evidence together.

"Little bit of chaos. A lot of police cars, a lot of fire trucks, EMS, and it seems like they went to a scene, but it was over in the parking lot behind us, but you don't really know what happened. Nobody said anything," said Breon Hagans, who works nearby. "It's a little scary."

Homicide Detectives are interviewing witnesses to the shooting.

"We're still trying to piece through all that at this point. Trying to interview anybody who may have any information about that case," CMPD Lt. Brad Koch said.

This is an ongoing investigation. Check back with wsoctv.com for updates.

Cox Media Group

Most Read