Demetrius Allen, 50, known affectionately as Big Meech, was fatally shot on October 5, 2024, at about 11 p.m. during a card game at the East Side Flats apartments on Trousdale Drive in east Charlotte. Officers from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department found Allen dead at the scene; a second person suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds and was taken to a hospital. Initial reports say an altercation during the card game turned physical and ended with the shooting.

CMPD’s Homicide Unit later determined the shooting to be a justified act of self-defense, and no charges were filed; the District Attorney’s Office agreed. Allen’s family was notified but the specifics of the confrontation and the identities of others involved have not been released. He is survived by four children and nine grandchildren; his daughter Shakya Allen recalled him as the life of the party and a caring presence.

If anyone was at East Side Flats that night or has information about what happened during the card game, please share what is known.