Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police have charged four teenagers in connection with the shooting death of 4-year-old Caleb Flax, who was killed while sleeping in his own bed during a drive-by shooting last month.
Police said Caleb was shot in the early hours of Sept. 20 when he “should have been safe in his own bed.” According to court documents reviewed by WBTV, seven armed suspects traveling in two stolen vehicles — a Mercedes and an Infiniti — stopped in Caleb’s neighborhood and fired a total of 84 shots into his home and three other properties.
Caleb was pronounced dead at a local hospital roughly four hours after the shooting. An adult, Kaley Collins, was critically injured in the same attack. Police described the shooting as an “act of unthinkable violence,” noting it came just weeks after Caleb had started school.
“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. I’m just numb right now.”
How the arrests came together
Investigators recovered the abandoned 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. Johnson reportedly told police he had driven the car to an Airbnb party on Sept. 19, the night before the shooting, and said 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.
The car itself was tied directly to the shooting because it had been near Caleb’s home and was found abandoned with a handgun magazine inside.
Antonio Ladson, 17, was arrested after a search warrant turned up a Glock 27 loaded with rounds matching those recovered at the scene. Both Jaylen Barber, 16, and Johnson reportedly told police that 17-year-old Ian Garland had been driving the stolen Mercedes; Garland was arrested on Sept. 30.
All four teens face charges of shooting into an occupied dwelling, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit a felony.
A 22-year-old man, Terrance Jackson, has also been 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. That car was later recovered roughly 140 miles away in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
Police Chief Estella D. Patterson said the investigation remains open.
“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.
Remembering Caleb
Caleb’s family described him as a “force” whose smile “could light up a room.”
“If you ever encountered him, you would’ve loved him like I did,” his grandfather, Brian Beatty, said, according to WBTV.
Hundreds of mourners gathered for a vigil for Caleb a week after his death. Friends have also set up a fundraiser to support his mother.
“This was Bryanna’s only child, and they shared an unbreakable bond. She is deeply hurt and going through an unimaginable traumatic process as she faces the loss of her son,” friends said.
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