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Mother Of 4 Fatally Shot At North Carolina ATM
Karen Baker was found fatally shot at an ATM in Charlotte, North Carolina; a suspect has yet to be named.
A North Carolina mother of four was shot dead near a shopping center ATM machine in what authorities have described as a random act of violence.
Karen Baker was found dead by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers responding to reports of a shooting on Wednesday, July 13. Baker, 48, was found near an ATM in the University Plaza Shopping Center parking lot, reports local news station WBTV.
Baker’s niece, Cortney Eckhoff told the Charlotte Observer that Baker had three sons, a daughter, and three grandchildren and described her aunt to Fox News as "an amazing woman.”
Baker is described as the matriarch of the family, according to her two sons Michael and Will McClure. The boys told local news station Queen City News that their mom was their best friend, and that they’re desperate looking for answers into who killed her.
“My mom was a one-of-a-kind woman, wasn’t nobody she wouldn’t help, there wasn’t nobody she didn’t love,” said Michael McClure.
“My mom would move mountains for a stranger,” said another son, Will McClure.
Police have not identified or arrested a potential suspect connected to the shooting. Still, Major Brian Foley says it appears to be a "random act" during a CMPD news conference to discuss mid-year crime statistics on July 14.
"It's heinous, it is disgusting, and it pains me to have to come up and stand here in front of people and talk about that. But we want to find justice, we want to find people that killed this poor woman," Foley said. Charlotte has seen at least 56 homicides this year.
This incident has caused business owners in the area to rethink safety measures for not only their business but for their customers and community.
Larry Wright, the general manager of Asian Market is exploring measures to guarantee the safety of his employees when they report to work. “It’s just sad that something like this had to happen,” Wright told WBTV.
The landlord of the business complex where the incident took place said that while they have a security officer on duty, they only patrol the area sporadically and were not present when the shooting occurred, reported WBTV.
Police have not named or release any details on a potential suspect. Authorities ask those with any information to contact (704) 432-TIPS and speak directly to a homicide unit detective.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department did not respond to Oxygen.com's request for comment.
