Second Man Charged In Connection With Shooting That Killed 3-Year-Old

Two men have been arrested in connection to a shooting in Charlotte, North Carolina, late Tuesday that left a 3-year-old boy dead.

Jacob Lanier, 21, was arrested Friday and has been transferred to the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office.

Lanier was charged by detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) with murder, eight counts of attempted murder, nine counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling and conspiracy to commit murder, WCNC reported.

Police also arrested 21-year-old Qua’tonio Stephens on Wednesday in connection to the shooting, WBTV reported. He was charged with accessory after the fact to murder.

Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Stephens Wednesday but were forced to pursue it when the vehicle failed to stop. Stephens was later arrested without incident.

Three-year-old Asiah Figueroa was the victim in Tuesday’s deadly shooting off Richard Rozzelle Drive, according to Susie Whitley, the child’s great-grandmother.

Detectives said two cars pulled up in front of the great-grandmother's home around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday. More than 150 rounds were fired at the home, hitting Asiah as he slept in his bed, WSOC-TV reported. The boy was rushed to a hospital but was later pronounced dead.

Asiah’s 4-year-old sister was grazed in the shooting and expected to survive, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said, according to CNN.

The boy's great-grandmother told WBTV that Asiah and other family members were staying in her home at the time and that she heard the gunshots just as she was about to fall asleep. Whitley's granddaughter then screamed that Asiah was shot as she dialed 911.

"When I went into his room, my grandson was in there, was holding him and he said, 'Grandma, I think he's gone.' I didn't want to believe it," Whitley told WBTV.

Detectives on the case suggested that the shooting is related to two other homicides that have a connection to students at Hopewell High School, according to CMPD Captain Joel McNelly. Authorities said students from North Mecklenburg and Chambers (Vance) high schools may be involved as well.

"We believe that these tragic events stemmed from some simple disputes. What started out as teenage dispute games, has turned into a deadly game that's now taken two lives," McNelly said.

There are multiple suspects and multiple firearms involved, but police said they have not located any of the cars or any of the people involved.

Meanwhile, one of the suspects, Stephens, also faces a series of felony charges, including flee to elude, three counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling and seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill in connection to a string of other shootings.

At around 1 a.m. Tuesday, Stephens allegedly shot into three homes on Joe Morrison Lane with people inside, WSOC-TV reported, citing court documents.