KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — The man killed by Kannapolis police after officers said he was firing a gun and attempting to carjack vehicles has been linked to a suspicious-person investigation in Monroe earlier the same day.
Kannapolis police identified the man as Lorenzo Devonte Gray, 33, of Kannapolis.
Police said officers received a 911 call around 11:40 a.m. Friday, Aug. 14, reporting a man firing a gun on South Main Street near Bell Street.
As officers approached the area, they encountered Gray holding a gun and attempting to carjack vehicles at the intersection of South Main Street and Bethpage Road, according to police.
Gray was shot by officers during the encounter. He was transported to Atrium Cabarrus, where he died from his injuries. No officers were injured.
Kannapolis police identified the officers involved as Lt. Justin Smith and Sgt. Matthew Hoehman. Both were placed on administrative leave pending an internal review, which is standard procedure following an officer-involved shooting.
New information released by the Monroe Police Department links Gray to an incident earlier Friday in the Hilton Meadows neighborhood.
Monroe police said the suspicious person reported in the neighborhood was the same person later involved in the Kannapolis officer-involved shooting. Police also released surveillance imagery from the Monroe incident.
Monroe police thanked residents who reported suspicious activity and provided information to investigators. The department has not released further details about what occurred in the Hilton Meadows neighborhood.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the Kannapolis shooting. Kannapolis police are conducting a separate internal review.
