4-Year-Old Killed in Bed as Seven Suspects Allegedly Fire 84 Shots, Police Say

A 4-year-old North Carolina boy was fatally shot in his bed after seven people opened fire on four homes, unleashing more than 80 rounds in the middle of the night, police said.

Ar”montae Johnson and Jaylen Vontae Barber, both 16, and 17-year-olds Antonio Kahron Ladson and Ian Garland face murder charges in the death of Caleb Flax. Terrance Jackson, 22, has been charged with accessory after the fact.

The gunfire erupted around 3 a.m. Sept. 20 in the 900 block of Grassy Patch Lane in Charlotte. Officers arriving at the scene found Caleb and an adult in separate homes with gunshot wounds. Both were taken to a hospital, where Caleb died. The adult victim survived but suffered serious injuries.

Fourteen people were inside the homes at the time, including five children, authorities said.

“Caleb should have been safe in his own bed. Instead, his life was ended in an act of unthinkable violence, and another victim was wounded. From the moment this investigation began, our detectives have been relentless in their pursuit of justice for the victims and their families,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella D. Patterson said in a statement.

According to an arrest affidavit, surveillance video captured seven people leaving two vehicles with their headlights off before firing 84 rounds at the four residences. The group then returned to the cars and drove away.

Investigators later located one of the vehicles, a Mercedes-Benz, roughly a quarter-mile from the shooting scene. A handgun magazine was found in the front seat. Police contacted the vehicle’s owner, who said he believed the Mercedes was parked in his apartment complex’s parking deck. Investigators determined it had been stolen several days earlier.

The second vehicle allegedly used in the attack, a 2018 Infiniti, had also been reported stolen, police said.

Surveillance footage and vehicle-location data led investigators to identify Johnson as one of the suspects. After being advised of his Miranda rights, Johnson reportedly told police he had stolen both cars.

Johnson told detectives he attended a party on Sept. 19, where he spoke with several people who said they wanted to “shoot at windows as retaliation for another shooting.” He allegedly said he handed the Mercedes keys to several people while knowing they were armed, according to the affidavit.

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After abandoning the Mercedes and Infiniti, the group returned to the party in a Jeep, police said.

Police allege that Johnson later contacted Jackson and asked him to recover the Infiniti. The two drove the vehicle to South Carolina, sold it for $1,200 and divided the proceeds, according to investigators.

Authorities have made arrests and recovered both stolen vehicles during the 10-day investigation. Police said additional suspects remain at large.

“Much of that work happens behind the scenes. It is the methodical, persistent work of detectives putting the pieces of a case together, following every lead, examining evidence, conducting interviews and working to identify everyone responsible. While that work may not always be visible to the public, it is happening every day,” Patterson said Thursday. “The five arrests announced today are a direct result of that unwavering commitment and we will not rest until every person responsible for this tragedy is brought to justice.”

The teenage defendants also face charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit a felony and four counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling.

Caleb’s grandfather, Frank Abdul, told local ABC affiliate WSOC that he was relieved to see some of the suspects jailed.

“When the chief came out here, she said they were gonna do their job, and we are thankful for that,” he said.

The family said it will continue monitoring the case as it seeks justice for Caleb.

“We’re ready for every court date they put out there,” Abdul said.

Caleb was his mother’s only child. They shared an “unbreakable” bond, a GoFundMe stated.

“She is deeply hurt and going through an unimaginable traumatic process as she faces the loss of her son,” the description said.