2 charged in shootout that injured 1-year-old in southeast Charlotte; others still sought

CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) – A 19-year-old man and a 15-year-old were charged Tuesday after a shooting in southeast Charlotte that injured two, including a one-year-old that was grazed in the head, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Officers responded to calls regarding the shooting around 6 p.m. near 5700 Independence Blvd., a highly trafficked time right around the evening weekday commute.

Detectives learned ‘occupants’ in a gold sedan pulled up next to another vehicle and both cars exchanged gunfire. The gold sedan with side-swipe damage in the driver’s side as well as its occupants are still being sought.

In the second vehicle, a one-year-old child was shot in the head, however, is expected to recover. The driver, 19-year-old De’Aaron Truesdale, was not injured and has been charged. He faces multiple charges including child abuse, hit-and-run, and assault with a deadly weapon. A third passenger, a 15-year-old unidentified juvenile, suffered a gunshot wound in the leg and is expected to recover. The juvenile has been charged with possession of a gun as a minor.

CSI, CFD, and operations command were among the departments that responded to the scene.

This is the second shooting in just two weeks involving children under the age of 5 in the Charlotte metro. A three-year-old tragically was killed when two cars pulled up to a home in the evening two weeks ago in north Charlotte and opened fire.

Nine children have been shot in Charlotte dating back to August, according to city data.