Mass shooting renews calls for improved safety in Uptown Charlotte

The big picture: Charlotte Center City Partners, an economic development organization, has launched a multi-year, multi-million-dollar initiative to bolster Uptown's image and enhance safety.

• President and CEO Michael Smith says there are other moves entities could or are making to help achieve the same goals, such as increasing state funding for prosecutors and building a shelter.
• "This recent criminal activity — it's inconsistent with our expectations. We're disappointed," Smith says. "But it's also inconsistent with the experience that our residents, workers and guests are accustomed to."

By the numbers: Citywide, crime was actually down 8% in the first two quarters of 2025 compared to 2024, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's mid-year report.

• Violent crime — including homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assault — dropped 25%. Charlotte has recorded 42 homicides so far this year, down from 59 this time last year.

Reality check: The reporting period ended June 30, and the data does not take into account the streak of violence in July, including an officer-involved shooting on July 6 in the 600 block of North Church Street.

• CMPD also did not respond to a request for data specific to Uptown by press time.

The latest: The investigation into the July 13 shooting is ongoing. It's still unclear how many suspects were involved. CMPD says more than seven guns were found at the scene.

• Two arrests have been made for possession of firearms: 24-year-old Shawn Cannon and 25-year-old Damien Evans. Both have extensive criminal histories and were described as the "very definition of a danger to the community" by Judge Matthew Newton.
• Witnesses say an altercation at Encore Nightclub on North College Street escalated to gunfire, Queen City News reported. The business denies that the incident originated there.
• Arleigh Alexzander Bryant, a 37-year-old employee at Encore, died at the scene.

At a Thursday press conference, Deputy Chief Ryan Butler emphasized CMPD's presence in Uptown, particularly around bars, restaurants and nightclubs.

• "There is nowhere in the city that you can go where you will find more officers per square block than you will in the Central Division," Butler said.
• He added that CMPD works with business owners to control traffic flow and keep patrons safe. Patrol cars are keeping their steady blue lights on to make their presence known and deter crime.
• Still, surveillance footage showed suspects in the mass shooting running past cars with their lights on: "That is how brazen and callous this is," Butler said Monday at a separate press conference.

Zoom in: Charlotte Center City Partners has raised $2 million in contributions from the corporate community, and the City of Charlotte increased the municipal service area tax rate in parts of Uptown.

These new dedicated funds allow the organization to "go after an aggressive strategy related to the challenges of safety, perception, vibrancy and the experience" of Uptown, Smith said. The effort includes:

• A marketing campaign for Uptown, developed by ad agency Wray Ward, including billboards.

• More Uptown ambassadors — people in visible orange uniforms who are stationed in Uptown to answer questions and offer support. A former CMPD officer is newly leading the program, which will grow from 16 to as many as 30 ambassadors.

Center City Partners also requests that building owners take responsibility for their blocks and ramp up security. Ally, Duke Energy, Bank of America and Cousins are some of the employers who are on board.

• "We think it's going to become a best practice for other downtowns," Smith said of the block initiative. "It's going to make a difference through incrementalism."

Zoom out: But there are other needs outside of Center City Partners' purview that Smith suggests would make a difference, like:

• Hire more police officers. CMPD has more than 1,900 sworn officers. The chief has said the force should grow to around 2,500 to meet the demands of the city's size, Smith tells Axios.
• Expand the DA's office. The state legislature is considering bills that could add assistant DAs. In Mecklenburg County, offenders regularly end up back on the streets because there aren't enough prosecutors.
• Continue juvenile outreach. CMPD credits a decline in juvenile crime to its youth programs. Officers sometimes visit the homes of high-risk youth before big events to prevent situations like the brawl that broke out during Uptown's 2023 Fourth of July fireworks.
• Build a non-congregate shelter. Charlotte doesn't have a shelter like this, but United Way's "A Home For All" strategy recommends one. Smith says some people experiencing homelessness would be more willing to enter a shelter with single rooms, and then could be connected to health care and other services.
• Deploy on-street psychiatrists. Starting Aug. 1, Advocate Health and Alliance Health are dispatching psychiatrists to care for 20 people on the streets. They'll team up with Roof Above and Hearts for the Invisible.
• Parks security. Mecklenburg County, as of July, has 24-hour armed security in Uptown parks.