Uncle fatally shoots 7-year-old while filming music video, North Carolina police say
A 7-year-old girl died after her uncle shot her while filming a rap video in North Carolina, officials said.
Jeremy Quintrel Lewis of Charlotte is facing a second-degree murder charge a week after his niece was taken to a hospital, according to court documents McClatchy News obtained Tuesday.
The 30-year-old was making a music video when he was given a gun and fired the weapon, sending a bullet through a wall inside a home on April 13, according to a search warrant application. Officials said the bullet struck a 7-year-old girl in the head.
The child was identified in court documents and media reports as Lewis’ niece, Gabrielle Jones.
An attorney for Lewis told McClatchy News the shooting was accidental.
“This was a tragic accident,” attorney Noell P. Tin wrote in an emailed statement. “Jeremy loved his niece and he is devastated.”
Officers said Lewis shot the girl on Ware Avenue in Gastonia, west of Charlotte. She was rushed to Levine Children’s Hospital and later died, the Gastonia Police Department told McClatchy News.
Lewis, who was initially facing assault and weapons charges, is now also charged with second-degree murder, according to WBTV, The Charlotte Observer’s media partner.
This story was originally published April 20, 2021 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Uncle fatally shoots 7-year-old while filming music video, North Carolina police say."
