Second suspect charged in deadly Raleigh July 4 shooting
RALEIGH, North Carolina (WTVD) -- A second teen has been arrested in connection with the deadly July 4 shooting in Raleigh that left one dead and three injured, Raleigh Police announced Thursday evening.
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Curtis Hart Rainey, 17, has been charged with murder. He has been transported to the Wake County Detention Center.
Rainey was arrested in the 5200 block of Greens Dairy Road. No home address was given for Rainey.
Earlier Thursday, the first suspect in the case, a 16-year old Raleigh teen, faced a judge on murder charges.
The shooting victim's family told ABC11 on Thursday that eight lives have already been saved by donated organs.
The sister of Raheem Lawrence-McAllister says her brother was essentially dead on arrival at WakeMed on Tuesday night after multiple people were shot an hour after and a block away from the Fourth of July fireworks display.
But Shelby Lawrence says her family kept him on life support so his organs could be donated.
"It's just hard because I tried to protect him from everything. I tried to save him from everything. And this is just something that I couldn't protect him or save him from," Lawrence said. She then added, "But, I don't know, it warms my heart that he's going to save several others lives. I'm happy with the decision my family came up with to make him an organ donor."
GOFUNDME: Click here if you'd like to help Raheem's family.
Lawrence said she had no idea what went down at the McDonald's in downtown Raleigh on South Wilmington Street on Tuesday night when her brother was shot in the head and leg and two other men were shot but survived.
A 13-year-old girl was also injured, but it's not clear whether she was hit by a bullet.
SHOOTING SURVIVOR DESCRIBES SCENE
One of the men who survived provided ABC 11 his account what happened.
According to Mekhi Lucky, there was an argument in the parking lot between two groups.
Lucky said he, another man named Keon Willis and Lawrence-McAllister had nothing to do with the dispute.
"He was a bystander. Keon was a bystander. I was a bystander," Lucky said. "I was trying to relax everything. I was telling the guys over here to chill out. I was telling the guys over here to chill out."
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Lucky said he shook hands with a member of one of the groups and then turned away.
Lucky continued, "When I started walking back I heard the click, click, click. When I heard it, I turned around and the guy had the gun up. When he had the gun up, I ducked a little bit. He shot, boom. He missed me."
But the second shot connected - shattering the bone in his left forearm.
As he ran, he said he heard shot after shot after shot.
Lucky said he was shocked when police charged a 16-year old with the violent crime.
"How could you be only 16 and shooting people like that? You know what I'm saying? Going crazy. These kids are out of control," Lucky said.
On Thursday, the suspect, Kenneth Edward Watts Jr. of Raleigh, faced a judge for the first time.
Though he is old enough to face adult murder charges, he found out he is not eligible for the death penalty.
"The maximum punishment is life in prison with parole in this case," Wake County District Court Judge Ned Mangum told the teen.
Lawrence, the murder victim's sister, is devastated by the crime but is not feeling vindictive saying, "I wouldn't want any other family to go through what we're going through, not even the suspect's family."
She said she will try to dwell on the happy memories and her family's decision to honor her brother's memory by saving other lives.
"We also know that he's still here helping someone else now. I think that will help us heal to know that he will still be here in some way."
