On July 9, 2024, 19-year-old Marquez Alexander Summers was fatally shot in Charlotte, North Carolina. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. in the 6100 block of Carver Boulevard, near West Sugar Creek Road. Summers was transported to Atrium Health University by an acquaintance but succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Investigations by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) revealed that the shooting stemmed from a drug deal that escalated into violence.
According to reports, Summers and an associate had arranged a $470 marijuana transaction with 22-year-old Demarius Jeprese Poole in the neighborhood behind Rockwell Park. A dispute over the money led to an exchange of gunfire, resulting in Summers' fatal injury.
Poole, who was also injured during the altercation, sought medical treatment at a hospital. He admitted to being present at the scene and possessing a firearm matching shell casings found there. At the time of obtaining arrest warrants, Poole was already in custody on unrelated charges. He has since been charged with murder and discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle in connection with Summers' death. Poole is currently held at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center without bond.
This incident was part of a surge in violence in Charlotte, marking the fifth homicide within a 36-hour period. CMPD continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding Summers' death and urges anyone with additional information to contact their Homicide Unit or Crime Stoppers.
