RALEIGH, NC – A man has been charged after a 5-year-old girl was shot during what authorities say was a violent road rage incident on U.S. 1 during the evening rush hour.
Police allege Charles Stevenson Jr., 20, fired a gun at a pickup truck carrying a father and his young daughter on U.S. 1 near the Cary Parkway overpass on Monday, after an altercation involving another motorist. The bullet struck the child in the leg before becoming lodged in her sippy cup, according to investigators.
The girl, identified as Ema, was inside a Ford F-150 with her father when the incident unfolded. The family’s last name is not being disclosed at their request.
According to law enforcement, Stevenson had been driving erratically and was seen throwing an object at another vehicle. That object missed its intended target and struck the father’s pickup instead. The father reportedly rolled down his window to confront Stevenson, which is when the shooting occurred.
Emergency crews transported Ema to a local hospital, where she underwent multiple surgeries for her injuries. Family members say the child is now facing physical therapy as part of her recovery.
Stevenson is charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury, and discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle. Prosecutors upgraded the charges ahead of his first court appearance Wednesday, where a Wake County judge ordered he be held without bond.
Court documents indicate one of the original charges against Stevenson was dismissed and replaced as authorities reviewed the case and coordinated with prosecutors.
Ema’s mother said the family is still grappling with the aftermath of the attack. An online fundraiser to help cover Ema’s medical expenses, describing her as resilient despite the traumatic events.
Police have not released further details regarding what led up to the confrontation, but say the investigation remains active. No other injuries were reported.