3 people charged, 1 with attempted murder, in shooting at Northlake Mall

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Three people have been charged in connection to a shooting at the Northlake Mall that sent two people to the hospital on Thursday.

Xavior Grant Alexander, 19, has been charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, Jadah Van Williams, 21, has been charged with assault, and a 17-year-old has been charged with assault following Thursday’s mall chaos, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said.

The shooting broke out just before 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, at the Northlake Mall located in the 6800 block of Northlake Mall Drive.

As CMPD officers arrived at the scene, they found two people who had been shot. Both people were rushed to an area hospital for treatment.

CMPD’s preliminary investigation revealed that a verbal exchange between one of the victims and the suspect turned physical. That caused the suspect to pull out a gun and shoot the person; another individual unrelated to the fight was also hit in the crossfire.

“I heard the gunshots,” said a witness. “[People] were running towards me. It was just a crazy experience.”

An on-duty police officer at the mall located the suspect and de-escalated the situation, taking the suspect into custody, police said. A firearm was also recovered, CMPD said.

“We can’t illuminate every safety threat that’s out there. But by working together, we can mitigate the safety threats out there,” said Maj. Ryan Butler. “I think that it shows that we are a community that cares about each other. We won’t tolerate this kind of behavior, and we want those who engage in this kind of behavior to be held accountable.”