On May 27, 2023, at about 1:30 a.m., Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police responded to a shooting on West Third Street near Truist Field in Uptown Charlotte and found 26-year-old Ryan Shamel Elliott with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Medical personnel pronounced Elliott dead at the scene.

CMPD detectives identified 26-year-old Joseph Crawford as the primary suspect. On May 28, 2023, members of CMPD’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, working with the Gastonia Police Department, located Crawford in Gastonia. During an attempted apprehension, Crawford allegedly fired a shot at an unmarked police vehicle occupied by a CMPD detective, prompting a vehicle pursuit that ended near Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Crawford was taken into custody without further incident and was charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; Gastonia police also charged him with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and felony fleeing to elude arrest. Court records show Crawford has a lengthy criminal history including robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a deadly weapon, and breaking and entering.

Does anyone have information about Elliott’s movements that night or saw activity near West Third Street around 1:30 a.m. on May 27?