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2 years after the Juneteenth shooting, families of the 'Beatties Ford 4' want answers

Hundreds of shots were fired at a Juneteenth celebration in 2020. Families say someone knows something that could lead to an arrest.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A father, a niece and a sister. Three people who are unrelated and did not even know each other until two years ago when shots rang out on Beatties Ford Road.

Each one of them received a chilling message that no one wants to get.

Jocelyn Hightower said it was her sister that actually called to tell her that her first cousin, Dairyon Stevenson, had been shot.

“You think you hear about somebody being shot, and you think they’re gonna be all right, you weren’t expecting the worst of it," Hightower said. 

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Charles Billings was talking to his wife when he got a call from the hospital early Monday morning. A nurse called asking if they knew a Jamaa Cassell, describing tattoos on his chest. 

“They said my son was in intensive care,” Billings said, sitting next to a picture of his only son. 

The hospital told them not to worry but Billings and his wife rushed to their son's aid anyway. 

“Two surgeries later and they told us he had passed," Billings said. 

Chantell Miller said she got calls and texts telling her that her sister Kelli, an up-and-coming rapper, was dead. 

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing, I just couldn't," she said, standing where Kelli tried to escape across the street from the gunfire. 

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Charlotte-Mecklenburg police had officers in the area near the Food Lion on Beatties Ford Road. It said that once the first shots happened, bullets started flying from everywhere. 

The aftermath revealed that 10 people had been injured while hundreds of people ran for cover. Four people, Dairyon Stevenson, Jamaa Cassell, Kelly Miller and Christopher Gleaton died of their injuries.

Police have assembled evidence including surveillance video of two people firing what appear to be assault rifles. Despite this, there have not been any arrests made. 

That has the family and friends of the victims wondering how there hasn’t been any movement in the case.

The friends and relatives of the victims now are now bound by a common pain and anguish, all wanting the same thing; justice for their loved ones.

Hightower believes that somebody knows something and needs to speak up, "If we can find out “why?” then maybe we could begin to heal, to start to try to heal. But we need that.”

Charlotte Mecklenburg police announced an increase in reward money of 47 thousand dollars for information that leads to an arrest in the case, but so far, no one has stepped forward.

Contact Richard DeVayne at rdevayne@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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