The department is calling in officers from their regular days off and from vacation in order to step up patrols in all divisions, Estes said. The county’s gang unit is also helping with the investigation.
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Deputy Chief Jeff Estes addressed a crowd of journalists and said that it has been one of the most violent weekends that he could remember.
Police initially described the nine-year-old as female based, they said, on preliminary information from the case.
Police aren’t saying much at this time.
Police haven’t identified suspects or a motive in Kevin Antonio Calderon Rodas’ death.
The dead include a 7-year-old boy killed during a birthday party around 9 p.m. Saturday in a front yard in southwest Charlotte.
Two adults suffered non-life threatening injuries in the shooting and were treated at the scene, police said in a statement.
“It’s a sad state of affairs in the city, in the country, where a 7-year-old boy can’t be free to celebrate a birthday party without being murdered”, Estes said.
As officers investigated that incident at around 12:15 AM, they responded to a report of gunfire a few blocks away on Echodale Drive. An unidentified woman was pronounced dead at Carolinas Medical Center.
Officers at that scene were “absolutely heroic”, Estes said.
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Police canvassed the area Saturday night for witnesses. Officers got to that scene quickly, and found two victims shot.
