Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Police say four teenagers have been charged in connection with the drive‑by shooting that killed 4‑year‑old Caleb Flax while he slept on Sept. 20. Police called the attack an “act of unthinkable violence” and said the child “should have been safe in his own bed.”
84 shots, two stolen cars
According to court documents reviewed by WBTV, seven armed suspects in two stolen vehicles—a Mercedes and an Infiniti—stopped in Caleb’s neighborhood and fired a total of 84 rounds into his home and three other properties. Caleb was pronounced dead at a local hospital roughly four hours later. An adult, Kaley Collins, was critically injured in the same attack, per the same reporting.
How investigators say the case came together
Investigators recovered the Mercedes the day after the shooting and linked it to 16‑year‑old Ar’montae Johnson after determining his iPhone had connected to the car on Sept. 15, according to the case information described in the source material. WBTV reports Johnson told police he drove the car to an Airbnb party on Sept. 19 and that several people at the gathering wanted to “shoot at windows as retaliation for another shooting.” He admitted handing over the keys knowing the group had guns, according to the outlet.
Police tied the Mercedes to the shooting after placing it near the home and finding it abandoned with a handgun magazine inside, per the reporting. A search warrant led to the arrest of 17‑year‑old Antonio Ladson after police found a Glock 27 loaded with rounds that matched those recovered at the scene, according to the same account. WBTV further reports that 16‑year‑old Jaylen Barber and Johnson told police that 17‑year‑old Ian Garland had been driving the stolen Mercedes; Garland was arrested on Sept. 30.
CMPD says all four teens—Johnson, Barber, Ladson, and Garland—face charges of shooting into an occupied dwelling, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit a felony. A 22‑year‑old, Terrance Jackson, is charged with accessory after the fact. Police say he helped Johnson reprogram a key for the stolen Infiniti before it was sold to a buyer in South Carolina for $1,200; the car was later recovered about 140 miles away in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
Case still open
Police Chief Estella D. Patterson said the investigation remains active. “The five arrests announced [Thursday] are a direct result of that unwavering commitment and we will not rest until every person responsible for this tragedy is brought to justice,” Patterson said.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
“He was laying beside me”
“He was laying beside me when it happened and I tried to cover his body, but I guess he had already got hit,” Caleb’s mother, Bryanna Flax, told WCCB. “It broke my heart… I’m just numb right now.”
Family members described Caleb as “a force” whose smile “could light up a room,” according to WBTV. “If you ever encountered him, you would’ve loved him like I did,” his grandfather Brian Beatty said, per the station. Hundreds gathered for a vigil a week after his death, and friends have organized a fundraiser to support his mother, according to the reporting.
