News

Justin Carr Was Killed During Charlotte Protests

by Seth Millstein

Authorities have released the name of the man who was shot and killed in the protests that erupted after the killing of Keith Scott in Charleston, North Carolina. The 26-year-old man in question had been on life support after the Wednesday shooting, but passed away on Thursday. Now, some are wondering: Who was Justin Carr?

There is not a wealth of information available about Carr, but according to what appears to be his Facebook page, he studied at Central Piedmont Community College. Carr's mother wrote an emotional Facebook post after her son's shooting, telling protesters to "do it peacefully."

"Don't know how to feel!" Ann Carr wrote. "Don't know what to feel! Just feeling numb! Not going to ask why me just need Prayer for my baby boy right now! As I lay by his side and Praying real hard because my baby is fighting for his Life! Please if your gonna protest do it peacefully! My baby was shot in the head for no apparent reason! I don't know who did this but Lord please bring my baby through this & give me strength cause those of you that know me know how close me & my Son s [sic] are!"

Hours later, Ann thanked her friends and family for their support.

Protesters in Charlotte took to the streets two nights in a row to protest the death of Scott, who a police officer shot and killed on Tuesday. According to police, the officers involved believed they saw a gun in Scott's hand as he was emerging from his vehicle; according to Scott's family, Scott was in fact holding a book and was waiting to pick up his son from school.

The protests over Scott's death turned violent, and North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency. It was at Wednesday's protest that Carr was shot; while the circumstances of his death remain unclear, the City of Charlotte said that it was another civilian, not a police officer, who shot him.