On March 31, 2024, 25-year-old Kedrick Brown was fatally shot in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven on University City Boulevard in Charlotte, North Carolina. The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. on Easter Sunday. Emergency medical personnel pronounced Brown dead at the scene.
Following an investigation, detectives identified 24-year-old Khyree Lewis as a suspect.
On April 18, 2024, Lewis was arrested in Concord, North Carolina, by the Concord Police Department and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Violent Criminal Apprehension Team. He was charged with first-degree murder and taken into custody at the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office.
The investigation revealed that Brown and Lewis had communicated via Instagram prior to the incident, arranging a meeting for a marijuana transaction. During the encounter, a struggle ensued, leading to Brown being shot. Surveillance footage and cell phone location data placed Lewis at the scene, supporting his identification as the perpetrator.
Brown's death was one of several violent incidents in Charlotte over the Easter weekend, contributing to a concerning rise in the city's homicide rate for 2024. He is remembered by family and friends as a loving father of two children, with a passion for outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting, and riding four-wheelers.
As of December 2024, Lewis remains in custody awaiting trial. The case has drawn attention to issues of gun violence and the dangers associated with illicit drug transactions in the community. Authorities continue to urge individuals to provide any additional information related to the case to assist in the ongoing investigation.
