Kelvin Ramone Velez, a 20-year-old male from Charlotte, NC, was found dead on January 24, 2017, in Troutman, NC. The victim, who was of African American descent, was discovered with gunshot wounds at a residence on Brookcreek Drive. The incident occurred when Velez allegedly rushed into the home with a gun and started shooting at the occupant, Jackson Suddreth Tyler.
Tyler, a 22-year-old male, claimed that Velez had entered his home wearing a mask and armed with a pistol. Tyler stated that Velez had shot himself, but investigators determined that a different firearm was used to kill Velez. Tyler waited an hour after the shooting before calling 911, during which time he moved items around and removed evidence from the scene.
Upon searching Tyler's home, law enforcement discovered that he was manufacturing ecstasy pills and firearms. They seized large capacity magazines, 33 firearms , gun parts, 6,051 rounds of ammunition, items used in manufacturing ecstasy pills, and more than 2 kilograms of ecstasy pills. Tyler was charged with possession with intent to distribute MDMA and discharging a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. However, the murder charge against Tyler was dropped because investigators could not disprove his claim that the shooting was in self-defense.
Tyler was sentenced to 19 years in prison, followed by six years of supervised release. The case highlights the deadly combination of criminal activities that led to the tragic death of Kelvin Ramone Velez.
