2 Charged in Connection With Drive-By Shooting That Killed North Carolina 3-Year-Old

Police in North Carolina have arrested two men in connection with the shooting death of Charlotte toddler Asiah Fiquero, who died Tuesday night when multiple shooters fire more than 150 rounds into the home where he was sleeping.

Asiah’s 4-year-old sister was wounded in the shooting, which police said was connected to a string of shootings in the area involving former and current students from several high schools, as CrimeOnline previously reported.

Three-year-old Asiah was sleeping in his bed at 11:45 p.m. on Tuesday when assailants pulled up in two vehicles and began shooting into the house. Police released surveillance footage of the vehicles on Thursday.

Jacob Lanier, 21, was arrested Friday and charged with murder, eight counts of attempted murder, nine counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling, and conspiracy to commit murder, WSOC reported.

He’s due in court on September 16, according to Mecklenburg County jail records.

Earlier on Friday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police announced that they had charged 21-year-old Qua’tonio Stephens with accessory after the fact, saying in court records that he “did knowingly assist that person in attempting to escape” and also tried to hide the murder weapon from officers, WSOC said.

He was arrested after a high-speed chase on Interstate 85.

Court documents also link Stephens to a rash of shootings earlier on Tuesday. He is accused of firing three homes shortly after 1 a.m. that day. In addition to the accessory count, he’s been charged with felony flee to elude and seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and three counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling related to the earlier shooting.

He’s being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail on a $590,000 bond.

The string of shootings began last Sunday when a 16-year-old was fatally shot and two others wounded. A 14-year-old has been charged with murder.

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[Featured image: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; Asiah Figueroa/Charlotte Crimestoppers]