Alexander Cruz Martinez, 16, a male of Hispanic/Latino background, was shot on the evening of October 1, 2025, inside the multilevel parking deck at the Metropolitan shopping center near the Target on Metropolitan Avenue in Charlotte. Officers were dispatched just before 8 p.m.; an off-duty CMPD officer monitoring radio traffic reached the deck quickly and found Alexander suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
The next day, police publicly identified him and notified his family, while early accounts from bystanders and local outlets described a chaotic scene amid the concrete ramps and storefront lights.
In the hours after the shooting, investigators treated the deck as an active homicide scene, processing the upper floors for shell casings and other physical evidence while canvassing for surveillance footage and witnesses. Initial reporting centered on the Midtown location and timing; as detectives worked the case, a source told one station that Alexander had gone to the deck to meet someone to buy a gun, a tip that helped shape the early investigative narrative. Memorial pages soon reflected the loss and confirmed the basic facts of his death in Charlotte on October 1.
Within days, the investigation produced an arrest. A 17-year-old who had also been wounded was taken into custody and charged with murder in Alexander's death; authorities said additional counts would include robbery with a dangerous weapon, felony conspiracy, and felony obstruction. Because the suspect is a juvenile, police did not release a name, but they emphasized the case remained active as they continued to gather evidence. Local coverage noted the arrest and the array of charges, underscoring that detectives believed the killing was tied to a robbery scenario rather than random violence.
Family and community responses followed in the wake of the announcement. An obituary posted by a local funeral service shared the family's grief in both Spanish and English, and public radio coverage highlighted how quickly officers converged on the deck that night even as the broader Midtown area pulsed with evening shoppers. As the case moved forward, police and reporters reiterated pleas for tips from anyone who saw or recorded the moments before the shots rang out, a reminder that the picture of what happened to Alexander in that concrete structure was assembled piece by careful piece.
