Boy, 4, shot dead in his sleep as four teens arrested over 84-bullet attack in Charlotte, NC

Caleb Flax, 4, was killed in his Charlotte home on 20 September when suspects fired 84 rounds into a row of houses. Four teenagers have since been arrested and charged.

Four teens charged after 84 shots fired into Charlotte neighbourhood kill sleeping boy, 4

A four-year-old boy was shot dead while sleeping in his Charlotte, North Carolina home after seven armed suspects allegedly fired 84 rounds into a row of houses in the early hours of 20 September, nypost.com reports.

Caleb Flax was struck in the head inside his family home when, as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said on Thursday, "he should have been safe in his own bed." He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead four hours later. A woman, Kaley Collins, was critically injured in the same attack.

According to court documents seen by WBTV, seven suspects travelling in two stolen vehicles — a Mercedes and an Infiniti — stopped in Flax's neighbourhood and opened fire on his home and three neighbouring properties. Police described the incident as an "act of unthinkable violence."

Flax's mother, Bryanna Flax, told WCCB: "He was laying beside me when it happened and I tried to cover his body, but I guess he had already got hit. It broke my heart. I'm just numb right now."

Investigation and arrests

Officers made their first arrest the day after the shooting, when the abandoned Mercedes was located. Investigators linked the vehicle to Ar'montae Johnson, 16, after determining that an iPhone registered to him had been connected to the car on 15 September. Johnson subsequently told police he had driven the car to an Airbnb party on the evening of 19 September — the night before the shooting — and had handed over the keys knowing those who took them were armed.

He told officers several individuals wanted to "shoot at windows as retaliation for another shooting."

Antonio Ladson, 17, was arrested after a search warrant led police to a Glock 27 containing rounds consistent with those recovered at the scene. Both Johnson and Jaylen Barber, 16, told investigators that Ian Garland, 17, had been the driver of the stolen Mercedes. Garland was arrested on 30 September.

The four teenagers have been charged with shooting into an occupied dwelling, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit a felony.

Terrance Jackson, 22, is the only adult charged so far. He faces a charge of accessory after the fact, having allegedly helped Johnson reprogram a key for the stolen Infiniti before selling the vehicle to a buyer in South Carolina for $1,200. The Infiniti was later recovered in Orangeburg, South Carolina, approximately 140 miles from the scene.

Police have confirmed the investigation remains open.

"The five arrests announced [Thursday] are a direct result of that unwavering commitment and we will not rest until every person responsible for this tragedy is brought to justice," said Chief of Police Estella D. Patterson.

'A force'

Flax had only recently started school at the time of his death. His family described him as "a force" whose smile "could light up a room."

"If you ever encountered him, you would've loved him like I did," his grandfather, Brian Beatty, told WBTV.

Hundreds of mourners attended a vigil for the boy a week after his death. A fundraiser has been set up for his mother, Bryanna Flax, described by friends as going through "an unimaginable traumatic process" after losing her only child. "She is deeply hurt," the fundraiser page states. "They shared an unbreakable bond."

Source: The Sun