CHARLOTTE, NC – A 16-year-old teen has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder following the discovery of a 14-year-old boy’s body in a wooded area of a north Charlotte neighborhood. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department identified the victim as Jonathan Miller, a student who was attending Julius L. Chambers High School.
Following the arrest, the teenage suspect was taken into the custody of the Stonewall Jackson Detention Facility. The crime sent shockwaves through the community, where residents claimed they occasionally heard random gunfire but had no experience with a homicide investigation within their neighborhood.
The incident occurred on Tuesday night when a rapid succession of gunshots was heard, causing 16-year-old resident Christopher Carbajal and others to retreat indoors for safety.
The next day, a body was reportedly found in the same wooded location behind homes along Ann Elizabeth Drive in the Kingswood community. The minor who found the victim was reportedly exploring bike trails that are prevalent in the area.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department suggested that it was near these woods behind Ann Elizabeth Drive that the young victim met his fatal end on Tuesday night. Officers have been actively canvassing the community, seeking witnesses and doorbell camera footage to gather evidence.