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Third suspect wanted in connection to shooting death of a 3-year-old boy, CMPD says

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are asking for the public’s help in the search for a 21-year-old man wanted in connection with the killing of a 3-year-old boy last week.

Asiah Figueroa was asleep when 150 rounds were shot into his family’s northwest Charlotte home on Sept. 7. The child was shot in the head and later died at Atrium Health, police said.

Kaleb Lawrence, 21, is wanted in connection with the shooting death of 3-year-old Asiah Figueroa, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said on Friday, September 17, 2021.
Kaleb Lawrence, 21, is wanted in connection with the shooting death of 3-year-old Asiah Figueroa, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said on Friday, September 17, 2021.

Kaleb Lawrence is considered “armed and dangerous” and has a murder warrant issued for his arrest, police said in a news release Friday.

Warrants for Lawrence were issued Monday on charges of reckless driving and felony flee to elude with a motor vehicle, according to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office website. A murder warrant did not appear on the sheriff’s website on Friday afternoon.

Two other 21-year-old men, Qua’Tonio Stephens and Jacob Lanier, have been arrested in connection with the shooting.

Here’s a timeline of high school-related Charlotte shootings that killed 2, wounded 3

Stephens was arrested on Sept. 10 and charged with accessory after the fact to murder and felony flee to elude. Lanier was arrested the next day and charged with murder, eight counts of attempted murder, nine counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling and conspiracy to commit murder.

According to police, Asiah’s death, the fatal shooting of a teenager two weeks ago and several recent gunshot attacks on Charlotte homes, are all believed to be related to disputes among students at Hopewell, North Mecklenburg and Chambers high schools.

Police haven’t disclosed how Lanier, Stephens or Lawrence are connected to the disputes.

Although the named suspects are 21, police have said they are still looking for teenagers who may have been involved in the shootings.

“Our initial information we shared is still accurate,” police Lt. Bryan Crum said at CMPD’s weekly news conference Wednesday. “We still believe those (high school) connections hold true.”

The drive-by shooting that killed Asiah happened around 11:45 p.m. in the 2400 block of Richard Rozzelle Drive, a line of single-family homes southwest off Rozzelles Ferry Road and N.C. Highway 16.

Videos from neighbors’ security camera show two vehicles pulling up in front of a home and at least two shooters unloading a barrage of bullets before the cars slowly drive away.

Crum said the videos show several people shooting at the home, which makes it hard to determine the number of suspects.

“We’re just going to follow the investigation where it goes,” he said.