Shortly after 1:40 a.m. on September 16, 2025, officers responded to reports of gunfire in the 5600 block of Albemarle Road near a shopping plaza in east Charlotte. Two people were found wounded and rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries; Tavares Phifer, 35, died from his wounds. A woman shot in the head was reported in critical condition, and police later identified an additional injured victim linked to the same incident.

Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department identified 29-year-old Francisco Aldair Lopez-Tadeo as a suspect and took him into custody. He was charged with murder in Phifer’s death and was later charged with attempted murder in connection with the other victim. Police said he remained in the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office while the investigation continued.

The department is asking anyone who saw or heard anything around 1:42 a.m. on Albemarle Road to come forward with tips that could clarify the movements and motives behind the shooting. Did anyone in the area see activity in the shopping plaza parking lot that night?