Mooresville, N.C. — A night meant for hanging out with friends turned into a nightmare for families at Mazeppa Park on December 29, 2025, when a teenage boy was shot and killed and another was injured during what police say was an attempted robbery that went horribly wrong.
It was about 8:29 p.m. Monday evening when Mooresville Police Department officers got a call about gunfire at the popular community park off Mazeppa Road. When they arrived, emergency medical teams had already pronounced one juvenile dead at the scene while second victim was rushed to Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital with serious injuries. Authorities have not released the identities of the victims as they work to notify their families.
Investigators say the shooting happened after two groups had arranged to meet at the park under the pretense of buying THC vape pens. What began as what some involved thought would be a simple transaction quickly spiraled into violence when shots were fired by people on both sides of the deal.
Police soon learned that one group fled the park in a vehicle before officers got there. Statesville police located that vehicle shortly after the shooting, which helped them make multiple arrests tied to the incident.
By Tuesday, five teenagers from Statesville were charged as adults with murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon. The suspects include 19-year-old Bryan Fernandez Acevedo; 17-year-old Jovany Jiminez; 17-year-old Jonathan Jiminez; 16-year-old Christopher Chacon Ventura; and 16-year-old Christopher Palencia Lazo. Police say a sixth juvenile suspect will face the same charges once located.
Two other adults, 19-year-old Carlos Ezequiel Rodriguez Garcia and 20-year-old Christian Alexis Gutierrez Chavez, were also taken into custody and charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill in connection with the shooting.
Mazeppa Park, normally alive with youth soccer games, family picnics and community events, now sits closed and cordoned off as detectives continue gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses. The shooting has left the town shaken, with neighbors and parents alike questioning how a routine evening could turn so deadly.
In the midst of grief and confusion, leaders in Mooresville have called for calm and cooperation with law enforcement, while residents hope answers and healing can come soon. For now, the community mourns the loss of a young life and prays for the recovery of the injured boy.
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