Derrick Baker Jr., 22, was killed as an innocent bystander during a shooting outside a fast mart near the Tom Hunter Road light rail station in Charlotte, North Carolina, on the night of October 3, 2024. Prosecutors say an argument between two groups on a Blue Line train escalated after both groups left the train; members of one group walked to the store while members of the other group opened fire from across the street. Derrick was struck and died at the scene; two other people were wounded, including one who sustained life-threatening chest wounds but survived.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police responded and the investigation led to arrests the next day. A 17-year-old, Marquavis Spencer, was arrested October 4 and later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Derrick’s death and to assault with a deadly weapon for the person shot in the chest; Spencer was sentenced to 13 to 16 years in prison. A co-defendant, Jamotis Watkins, had been identified and was awaiting arraignment as of May 2026.

Does anyone who remembers that night or saw activity around the Tom Hunter Road station on October 3 have information that could help clarify what happened?