‘It was heartbreaking’: Community mourns death of 3-year-old killed in Charlotte drive-by shooting

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - A Charlotte community is in pain. They are angry.

A 3-year-old child was fatally shot during a drive-by in their neighborhood.

Asiah Figueroa was at home Tuesday evening when bullets sprayed into the home on Richard Rozzelle Drive. Upwards of 150 rounds were shot into the home, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police.

Asiah was shot dead, while his 4-year-old sister was grazed by a bullet, but she is expected to recover.

Inside that northwest Charlotte neighborhood, flowers and balloons are placed in remembrance of the young child.

Family, friends and community members mourned together Wednesday night with a vigil.

The community hopes their message is heard – to put the guns down.

“It was heartbreaking because I have five children of my own,” said community leader Leondra Garrett. “I have a grandson that’s four years old and my daughter knew this young lady, it was gut-wrenching.”

This community met Wednesday evening to remember Asiah at the same place his life was taken.

There was a call to lean on faith and a message to Charlotte’s youth.

“If y’all don’t put down these guns, this is what we going to continuing to have,” a speaker said.

Police say, emphatically, they believe teens within Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are responsible.

“You gotta stop living by the codes of the streets,” Garrett said. “Snitching is if me and you go do something together and I tell on you and don’t tell on myself. Snitching is not when you have friends that are going to do something stupid or that’s going to harm people or endanger lives and you don’t tell somebody so they can intervene.”

Balloons were released to the clouds as the community vows not to let this senseless murder be in vain.

“I just need the violence to stop,” said Andrea Walker, who helped organize the vigil. “I need parents to step up, take the responsibility of the bad choices that our kids are making. Step up and just help the community so we’ll have a better future for our children.”

Police are pleading for parents to talk to their children, check their phones and their backpacks.

Police are asking if you know something, give them a call.

The number to Crime Stoppers is 704-334-1600.

Police say this shooting, as well as three other shootings in Charlotte since Sunday, are all connected to Hopewell High School.

They say there are also possible connections to children and situations at North Mecklenburg High School and Chambers High School, which is formerly Vance.

Parents of any kids at those schools are asked to check their child’s phones and social media pages and call the police if they think they have information that could help figure out who killed 3-year-old Asiah.

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