Najee Pendergrass, a 27-year-old male, Black/African American, died in the early hours of May 17, 2025, after a shooting in west Charlotte. Police were called around 2:40 a.m. to the 2400 block of Freedom Drive, where officers found Najee Pendergrass in a parking lot with gunshot wounds; MEDIC pronounced him dead at the scene. Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Homicide Unit responded, processed the area for evidence, and began interviewing witnesses as the
investigation opened that morning.
The location, a commercial strip along Freedom Drive near Camp Greene Street and a food-truck lot, drew a swift public safety response as Operations Command, fire, and medical personnel assisted. By that afternoon, authorities publicly identified Najee Pendergrass and confirmed that next of kin had been notified, emphasizing that the case remained active and ongoing as detectives canvassed for leads and reviewed any available surveillance.
News of the death rippled quickly through local outlets and memorial pages. Obituary notices confirmed the identity and age of Najee Pendergrass and listed arrangements handled by Grier Funeral Service, while relatives organized an online fundraiser describing the family’s shock and grief in the wake of the killing. Community tributes also appeared on gun-violence memorial sites that recorded the death on the same date in Charlotte.
As of the initial reporting period, police had not announced any arrests, and no suspect names had been released. Detectives asked anyone with information to contact the Homicide Unit or provide anonymous tips through Charlotte Crime Stoppers, citing case report 20250517-0240-03. While one local outlet characterized the gunfire as coming from a vehicle in motion, CMPD’s official updates did not confirm that detail, and investigators continued to treat the circumstances as part of an active, developing case.
