3 days ago
Man shot at during test drive says teens tried to carjack him
A Charlotte man said he was nearly killed during a test drive when a group of teens tried to force their way into the car and opened fire in a church parking lot.
Detectives investigate death in north Charlotte
Caleb McIlwain Sr. said he was pre-approved Wednesday for a financing on a new car, something he badly needed for his catering business.
After work, he went to the dealership and drove the Chevy Equinox to a church parking lot on Tom Hunter Road at about 6 p.m., which was when a blue car drove up to him.
'They stopped right in front of me. After trying to get them to move, they just stayed there,' McIlwain said. 'There were three guys that exited the vehicle.'
He said three teens started pulling on the door handles demanding to be let in.
McIlwain said he put the car in reverse to warn the kids to back away, but the situation escalated.
'One of the guys screamed out, 'Pops, get the gun. Shoot this guy,'' the victim said.
Two bullet holes were shot into the passenger side of the car. McIlwain ducked for cover and a round narrowly missed him.
'One went right past my head as I was hitting the gas leaving,' he said. 'After that hard right turn, I was down below with my head between the radio and the console and I heard one hit the door and one right past my face. Right into the glove compartment.'
He got away by driving over the curb.
Officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department met him at the dealership where the manager was watching his son.
McIlwain said if either the father and son were in the front seat, he would have been shot.
'I'm a Charlotte native, born and raised, '96, Bank of America, go Panthers,' McIlwain said. 'I love Charlotte. I know this area. For you to do something like that in broad daylight, there's children getting off the bus. There's senior citizens sitting outside and you're firing into a dwelling not thinking about anything else.'
He said police got video of the suspects' car.
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