North Carolina Man Shoots 3-Year-Old in the Back After Getting Angry That Father ‘Parked Too Close,’ Police Say
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA — A 3-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital after being shot in the back when a man allegedly opened fire on his father’s van because he believed it was parked too close to his car, police said.
James Raeford, 39, has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and multiple counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle following the Sunday evening shooting at a Charlotte apartment complex.
Toddler Caught in Gunfire After Parking Dispute
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, the incident began around 8 p.m. in the 5700 block of Sloping Oaks Road.
The victim’s father told police he had just backed his white GMC work van into a parking spot with his 3-year-old son sitting in the front passenger seat when Raeford suddenly began shooting at the vehicle for “an unknown reason.”
One of the bullets struck the boy in the lower back, police said. The father sped away to the 6500 block of Woodfield Drive, about 10 minutes from the scene, where he called 911.
The toddler was rushed to the hospital and is expected to survive, according to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office.
Witnesses Describe Gunman With Green Laser Sight
A witness told investigators she heard four or five gunshots before seeing a man shouting and saying, “I’m going up to get me another clip.”
The witness described the shooter as a man with short dreadlocks, dressed in dark clothing, and holding a gun with a green laser sight. She said he ran into a third-floor apartment after the shots were fired.
Officers later interviewed a woman inside that apartment who said Raeford — her boyfriend — had called her, claiming he was “in an altercation” because a white van parked too close to his Infiniti sedan.
Suspect Allegedly Hid Gun in Father’s Golf Bag
Police said Raeford later showed up outside a magistrate’s office and admitted he had been involved in a shooting.
In his statement, Raeford claimed the van’s driver tried to run him over, so he opened fire in “self-defense.” He admitted he had aimed for the driver’s seat but shot toward the front passenger side — where the toddler was sitting.
Investigators later found the suspect’s Taurus G3 9mm handgun with a green laser sight hidden inside his father’s golf bag at a nearby home.
A search of the victim’s van revealed six bullet holes, with one bullet entering through the back of the passenger seat and striking the child. The bullet trajectory matched the direction of fire from where Raeford had been standing.
Charges and Investigation
Raeford is being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail on multiple felony counts, including:
- Assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury
- Assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill
- Six counts of discharging a weapon into an occupied property
The case remains under investigation, and police say additional charges may follow.
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