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Charlotte Shooting Suspect Jaden Harris Held Without Bond After North Charlotte Chase
Jaden Harris, accused of firing into a home where a grandmother slept, is being held without bond after a police pursuit ended on train tracks. The victim, Geraldine Brown, says she is grateful for the arrest but fears for her family's safety.
A Charlotte man accused of firing bullets into a home where a grandmother lay sleeping is being held without bond at the Mecklenburg County Jail, authorities said. Jaden Harris, who police say has a lengthy criminal record including numerous prior gun charges, was arrested after a police pursuit that ended on train tracks in North Charlotte.
Investigators link Harris to three separate crimes in the area, beginning with a vehicle theft in Cotswold in October. That was followed by a Nov. 4 shooting on Amay James Avenue and a police chase that led to the recovery of the stolen car. Although department policy generally discourages pursuits solely for stolen vehicles, officers initiated the chase because of the danger to the public and the suspect's connection to a shooting that endangered five people.
Geraldine Brown, who lives on Amay James Avenue, was in bed when gunfire erupted outside her home. Five people reside in the house, but no injuries were reported. Brown described the terror of the moment.
"My heart just dropped to my stomach," she said. "Well, I lay there, I heard the shots, and I just lay there. I got close to the ground on my floor, and I just laid there until the bullets stopped."
She reflected on what might have happened had she gotten up during the shooting. "Yes, that's what I was thinking. If I had just got up and went to the restroom or whatever, they could have got me. I don't know if they would have taken my life," Brown said.
Brown took ownership of the home in 2016 after her parents passed away. Despite investing significant time and money into maintaining the property, she expressed concern over her family's safety and the impact of local crime.
"I don't want to sell this house because I put so much money and work into it, but I don't want any of my family members or grandkids to get hurt," Brown said. "And these young people, they got to do something about them, stop letting them out so early, do something."
Harris remains in custody with no bond set. The case has renewed attention on gun violence and repeat offenders in Charlotte neighborhoods, where residents like Brown are left weighing their attachment to their homes against fears for their safety.