‘It’s really sad’: Man shot, killed outside south Charlotte bowling alley

CHARLOTTE — A man is dead after being shot outside of a south Charlotte bowling alley early on Sunday morning, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Police were called to Bowlero just after 1 a.m. on South Boulevard near Woodlawn Road for an assault with a deadly weapon call.

At the scene responding officers found a man with gunshot wounds, who later died at the scene from his injuries. CMPD later identified the victim as 26-year-old, Anthony Smith.

The police report obtained by Channel 9 shows six other people listed as victims, but none of them were hurt. A car was listed as damaged by the gunfire. Veteran crime reporter, Glenn Counts, spent some time at the bowling alley where he spoke with customers who were shocked that something so violent happened there.

“I think that it’s really sad, it just tells me there are way too many guns in society,” Marcia Kistner, a customer, told Counts. “I don’t care what the reason is – what the altercation was – whatever it was it is like the guns don’t need to be out there. Come on people.”

Several stray bullets damaged the outside of the bowling alley; luckily, no one was inside at the time of the shooting.

Employees who work in the area told Counts they have had to learn to be careful, especially at night. They’ve started watching each other get to their cars to go home after a late shift.

Even though Kitsner says she was surprised by the violence, the incident won’t stop her from returning to the lanes.

“No it won’t stop us, it won’t stop us. We even got bowling balls this year,” she said.

While police have identified the victim in the case, there is no new information about potential suspects or what sparked the violence.

CMPD says this is still an active investigation.

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