A North Carolina mother was arrested Saturday for allegedly firing shots at a back-to-school fair to break up a fight between her son and another boy, according to WBTV.
Cherez Davis allegedly shot two rounds in the air to break up the fight around 1:10 p.m. during a back-to-school fair at the C.W. Williams Community Health Center’s new medical facility, WBTV reported, citing an affidavit. The fight between the two boys purportedly escalated when another adult attempted to intervene, prompting Davis to allegedly fire her weapon. Davis put her weapon away after allegedly firing, and a crowd of more than 100 people scattered in panic, police said, according to the outlet.
Some attendees ran into oncoming traffic on a busy road near the fair, with responding police officers being mistaken for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on a raid, the Charlotte Observer reported. Despite the chaos, no one was injured, according to WBTV.
Arrest records from the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office show Davis was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and going armed to the terror of the people. According to the same records, Davis has been released from jail on $50,000 bond.
Laura Newell, a vendor who was at the event, reacted to the incident, telling WBTV she was “really kind of shaken up.”
“I was really kind of shaken up, I’m sure a lot of people were. It was a lot of commotion, we heard screaming, we heard people running. It was pretty chaotic, pretty crazy,” Newell said. (RELATED: Charges Dropped After Murder Arson Suspect Is Mistakenly Identified)
The C.W. Williams Community Health Center also released a statement addressing the incident.
“That one moment when a woman fired 3 shots in the air was an isolated incident that occurred toward the end of the event. We are saddened that our community, vendors and team members experienced this, but are so thankful that no one was harmed! C. W. Williams Community Health Center’s looks forward to your continued partnership and support.”
“The CWWCHC Board and leadership are proud and appreciative of our team for their courage and focus in caring for everyone during this unnecessary act. We sincerely thank you all! We also thank CMPD for their quick response and for arresting the perpetrator,” the center said, according to WBTV.
The annual event offers vaccinations, physicals and free school supplies to students, the Charlotte Observer indicated.