17-year-old arrested in April homicide at east Charlotte apartment complex

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are investigating a homicide after two people were shot in what appears to be a robbery attempt at an east Charlotte apartment complex in April.

More than a month after the killing, CMPD arrested Diyondre Wilson, 17. Wilson turned himself in to police on Friday, May 10.

He will make his first appearance in court Monday, May 13, at 1 p.m.

The shooting happened just after 9:30 p.m. Saturday, April 6 at the Timber Ridge Apartments on Barrington Drive near Sharon Amity Road.

Police said when officers arrived on the scene, they found Derrick Chambers suffering from a gunshot wound inside the apartment. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

CMPD said a second victim was also found inside the apartment and was rushed to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

CMPD Major Gerald Smith said the motive appeared to be robbery, and that the suspect came through the back door of the apartment.

Police said they were working to get surveillance video from the complex as well as speak with any possible witnesses.

Neighbor Stephen McMickens said as soon as he and his mother saw police in the parking lot of the complex, they knew it wasn't good.

"I felt hearing a bunch of sirens and I looked outside and said, 'Oh man, they're over here,'" Stephen said.

"So, my sister came up through here walking an she told us that the shooting in the back and I just started crying. I was heartbroken. I was like really torn apart," Stella McMickens said.

Stephen said seeing the police lights brought back memories from April 2007, when a double shooting left two CMPD officers dead.

In April 2007, CMPD officers Jeff Shelton and Sean Clark were killed in an ambush at the same apartment complex.

"Everybody's hurting. These are people losing their kids, losing their family members," Stephen said.

Chambers' death was Charlotte's 36th homicide of 2019.

Cox Media Group