Make New York Post a Preferred Source A 4-year-old North Carolina boy was shot and killed as he slept inside his own home – and four teens have been charged over the “act of unthinkable violence.”
Caleb Flax was shot in his Charlotte home in the early hours of Sept. 20 when “he should have been safe in his own bed,” Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police said Thursday.
Seven armed suspects were traveling in two stolen cars – a Mercedes and an Infiniti – when they stopped in Flax’s neighborhood and allegedly sprayed a total of 84 shots into his home and three other properties, according to court documents seen by WBTV.
Flax was prononced dead at a local hospital four hours after the shooting. Kaley Collins, an adult, was critically injured in the rampage.
Flax was killed just weeks after starting school in what police say was an “act of unthinkable violence.”
“He was laying beside me when it happened and I tried to cover his body, but I guess he had already got hit,” Flax’s mom, Bryanna Flax, told WCCB. “It broke my heart. I’m just. I’m just numb right now.”
The shooters fled the scene and cops made their first arrest after finding the abandoned Mercedes the day after Flax was killed.
Investigators were able to link the vehicle to Ar’montae Johnson, 16, after finding that an iPhone belonging to him had been connected to the car on Sept. 15.
He then admitted to cops he drove the car to an Airbnb party on Sept. 19 — the night before the shooting, according to the outlet.
He told cops several people wanted to “shoot at windows as retaliation for another shooting.”
Johnson admitted to cops he handed over the keys knowing they had guns.
Police were able to link the car to the shooting because it had been near Flax’s home – and it was found abandoned with a handgun magazine inside.
Antonio Ladson, 17, was busted after cops found a Glock 27 containing rounds similar to those found at the scene after carrying out a search warrant.
Both Jaylen Barber, 16, and Johnson allegedly told police that Ian Garland, 17, was the driver of the stolen Mercedes. Garland was arrested on September 30.
The four teens have also been charged with shooting into an occupied dwelling, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit a felony.Terrance Jackson, 22, is the only adult who has been charged so far. He has been charged with accessory after the fact.
He allegedly helped Johnson reprogram a key for the Infiniti before selling the car to a buyer in South Carolina for $1,200.
The Infiniti was found in Orangeburg, South Carolina — some 140 miles away from the scene of the shooting.
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“The five arrests announced [Thursday] are a direct result of that unwavering commitment and we will not rest until every person responsible for this tragedy is brought to justice,” Estella D. Patterson, the chief of police, said.
Meanwhile, Flax’s family described him as a “force” and said his smile “could light up a room.”
“If you ever encountered him, you would’ve loved him like I did,” his grandfather, Brian Beatty, said, according to WBTV.
Hundreds of mourners attended a vigil for the boy, a week after his death.
A fundraiser for Flax’s mom has also been created.
“This was Bryanna’s only child, and they shared an unbreakable bond. She is deeply hurt and going through an unimaginable traumatic process as she faces the loss of her son,” friends said.
