Teenage Boy Killed by Man Who Thought He Was Tampering With His Car: Police

A man has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting a 15-year-old boy who he believed had been "tampering" with his car in North Carolina.

Davonte Strickland, 25, of High Point, was arrested in connection to a shooting which occurred in the 500 block of Radford Street in the early hours of Tuesday, July 13.

The High Point Police Department said officers responded to the street after hearing shots being fired. After searching the area for around 10 to 15 minutes, they found the body of a 15-year-old suffering two gunshot wounds to the chest and one to the arm.

Officers proceeded to perform life-saving procedures on the boy until medical personnel arrived. The juvenile victim was then taken to the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem for treatment, but he was pronounced dead at 5:15 a.m.

The High Point Police Department said detectives from the Violent Crimes Unit responded to the scene to investigate the homicide, and brought three other juveniles relating to the incident in for questioning.

Detectives said the three juveniles, whose ages have not been revealed, did not cooperate nor give detailed accounts of what occurred when questioned at the station.

During the investigation, Strickland was identified as a suspect.

A search warrant for a property at 511 Radford Street was conducted where several items of evidence were seized.

Strickland was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

"Investigators believe that Strickland's shooting of the juvenile victim was his reaction to individuals on his property tampering with a vehicle in the driveway," the High Point Police Department said in a statement.

"High Point Police detectives are still conducting an active investigation into this incident. During this investigative process, detectives will continue to conduct interviews of potential witnesses and involved parties, conduct searches of any people, vehicles, or places that may contain evidence of the crime, and collect any other relevant materials that may aid in investigation or prosecution," the department added.

"The High Point Police Department remains committed to crime-fighting, community engagement, training, and professional policing. We will continue to collaborate with our community members and crime-fighting partners to promote a higher quality of life."

A High Point Police Department spokesperson confirmed there are no updates to the investigation when contacted by Newsweek.

Anyone with information about violent crime or illegal activity is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of High Point at 336-889-4000 or Download the P3 mobile app for IOS or Android.