The quiet of a northwest Charlotte neighborhood was shattered when four teenagers unleashed more than 80 rounds into homes along Grassy Patch Lane. In the chaos, 4-year-old Caleb Flax was struck in the head by a bullet while inside his family’s home. He was rushed to Levine Children’s Hospital but died just hours later. His death has left the community stunned and grieving.
Police say the suspects — Ar’montae Johnson, 16, Antonio Ladson, 17, Jaylen Barber, 16, and Ian Garland, 17 — are being charged as adults with murder. Each faces additional charges including attempted murder and shooting into an occupied dwelling. Investigators believe the attack was retaliation for an earlier shooting, but the gunmen fired at the wrong house, hitting Caleb’s home instead.
The deadly incident unfolded around 3 a.m. on September 20. According to court documents, seven armed suspects arrived in two stolen vehicles, headlights off, and opened fire on four homes and three parked cars. An adult victim was also wounded but survived. Caleb’s family, however, was left devastated by the loss of their child.
Detectives traced the crime back to a stolen Mercedes-Benz. Investigators discovered an iPhone paired with the car’s system days earlier, linking it to Johnson. Surveillance footage later showed the suspects fueling up at a 7-Eleven before heading to Grassy Patch Lane. Police recovered clothing from the Mercedes that matched what was seen on camera.
Authorities say Johnson provided the keys to the stolen Mercedes knowing the group was armed. After the shooting, the suspects abandoned the vehicles and returned to an Airbnb in a Jeep. Arrests followed over the next two weeks, with Johnson, Ladson, Barber, and Garland all taken into custody. Each now faces the possibility of life behind bars.
Another man, Terrance Jackson Jr., 22, was also arrested. Police say he helped dispose of the stolen Infiniti used in the attack. Jackson allegedly arranged for the car to be sold in South Carolina for $1,200, splitting the money with one of the teens. He faces charges of accessory after the fact to murder.
The investigation remains active. Police believe seven people were involved, but not all have been identified. For Caleb’s family, the search for justice is ongoing. The boy’s death has become a painful reminder of how reckless violence can destroy lives in an instant.
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