Beatrice Serrano, 32, was shot and killed in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 10, 2020, around 4 a.m. Officers found Serrano inside a car on Denson Place in east Charlotte with a gunshot wound; she was pronounced dead at the scene. Nearby, officers encountered two people fighting — one identified as 34-year-old Tommy Lee Carter and the other a witness. Carter was arrested and charged with murder and discharging a firearm into an occupied property. Authorities said Carter and Serrano had a previous relationship; Serrano had recently decided to move on from that relationship. Carter suffered minor injuries in the altercation with the witness and was treated at a hospital. Detectives said they were not seeking any additional suspects and the investigation was ongoing.

Serrano worked as a tattoo artist at Black Cloud Central in Charlotte; friends and colleagues described her as vibrant and full of life. Her death was recorded as the 85th homicide in Charlotte in 2020 and has been mentioned in the context of rising domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. If anyone knew Beatrice, her movements that night, or has information about the shooting, please come forward to investigators.