CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- There is a violent crime alert in one of Charlotte’s most walkable communities.
A young man told NBC Charlotte he was robbed at gunpoint while walking home in South End early Saturday morning. The alleged robbery happened on Summit Avenue near South Tryon Street, with several bars, breweries, and restaurants nearby.
The 27-year-old victim says he only had three or four blocks to walk home, so he didn’t think anything of it. The next thing he knew, a suspect was pointing a gun at him.
“It’s an area I walk through a lot, tons of people do,” said the victim, Thadd Burns.
For Burns, a familiar street became frightening when a quick walk home suddenly turned into an armed robbery after he left a friend's place around 5:30 a.m.
“This guy came up behind me and put a gun in my chest, and said give me whatever valuables you have on you,” said Burns.
The police report shows the suspect got away with everything from cash and credit cards to Burns' cell phone.
“Pretty much just told me to get down on the ground, pushed me down, told me to look away,” said Burns. “I heard a car come around the corner that he must have got into and sped off.”
It’s the latest violent crime in the booming area of South End. In August, a man was gunned down in his car not far from the latest robbery. Before that, police released a photo of a suspect accused of shooting a man in the Midnight Diner parking lot.
“I haven’t heard of many stories of people being concerned about their safety,” one resident told NBC Charlotte.
So far, there are no arrests in the latest case. Unfortunately, Burns says he didn’t get a good look at the suspect.
“I was pretty much looking at the gun that was in my face the whole time,” he said.
Burns hopes his story doesn’t make his friendly community fearful.
“I don’t think this is the kind of thing that people should fear it happening again,” said Burns.
Burns says he’s just glad he wasn’t hurt in the robbery. The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police at 704-334-1600.
