Road rage shooting prompts lockdown of 3 schools

CHARLOTTE — Police arrested the person they say is responsible for a road rage shooting in southeast Charlotte Wednesday that put three schools on lockdown.

Just before 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, a woman was transported to Atrium Main with serious injuries following the shooting on Rama Road near Sheppard Court, according to MEDIC.

The shooting took place while students were being dropped off at schools in the area. This prompted Rama Road Elementary School, McClintock Middle School, and East Mecklenburg High School to go into lockdown, according to CMS.

Around 8:15 a.m., CMS announced that the lockdown had been lifted.

“That’s wild,” said Lisa Coriano, a parent who picked up her daughter from McClintock Middle.

The schools sent out a notice but not in a timely enough fashion for Shaquanda Geathers.

“I feel like we should have gotten some kind of notice beforehand, but we didn’t find out until our kids were already on the way to school,” said Geathers, a parent. “That was kind of nerve-wracking.”

Cariano would have liked to see administrators handle the communication differently, as well.

“They said it was on a lockdown,” she said. “Yes, that’s what they are supposed to do, I guess. But I think a phone call or a child should be able to call home to say, ‘Hey, I’m safe.’”

The 35-year-old victim was shot in the leg and is recovering at home, police said.

On Thursday, police announced that Andre Malik Whitfield had turned himself in and was charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

It’s unclear what started the road rage incident.

VIDEO: East Union Middle School placed on lockdown; no active threat, county says

East Union Middle School placed on lockdown; no active threat, county says

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