CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The lives of three people were lost to gun violence in Charlotte over the weekend.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is investigating three deadly shootings all within a few days of each other. Two of those shootings were in east Charlotte.
This is an area where families with young children live, but Sunday night was nothing close to a safe place for them.
It doesn’t take long to see the traces of the deadly shooting. The windows of a car are shattered, and bullets went flying into several apartment units of the Vista Villa complex.
“We thought they were fireworks, but then we saw the cops,” Estela, who lives across the street, said. WCNC Charlotte is only using Estela's first name, as she is a minor.
She said several police cars were quickly on there on the scene. The apartment complex is off Barrington Drive near Montego Drive.
Neighbors said they heard several shots.
“It was very hard… I mean loud. I think eight to 10,” said Diego Cordona. “I just saw through my window police cars everywhere.”
Estela said she heard six to eight shots.
Police said a man was shot there and died at the hospital.
People who live nearby said they don’t feel safe, saying shootings in the community they call home are getting out of hand.
“One month ago something happened…something similar,” Cordona said. “It’s very scary. I’m worried about that.”
“I think we are going to move because we don’t want that to happen here,” Estela said.
This is the third deadly shooting in just three days. Just five minutes away from this neighborhood, CMPD said a person was shot and killed Friday morning.
Police tape was up at the Links at Citiside Apartments on Citiside Drive near The Plaza.
Later that night, police flooded a northeast Charlotte apartment off Hackberry Creek Trail, north of West W.T. Harris Boulevard. CMPD said the victim was found in a stairwell. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.
Community members say crimes are happening way more often in the area and they want to see some more focused efforts to clean it up.
A suspect has been arrested in the Citiside Drive case. CMPD is asking for anyone with information on any of these shootings to come forward.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.