Jail records show David Michael Simpson was freed 84 minutes before police received a report of the deadly apartment shooting.
CHARLOTTE, NC — A 29-year-old man with a prior manslaughter conviction is accused of killing one man and wounding another in an east Charlotte shooting less than two hours after he was released from jail, police and court records show.
David Michael Simpson faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and possession of a firearm by a felon. He was arrested Thursday, one day after the shooting at the Country Club Apartments on Dunlavin Way, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Simpson is being held without bond.
Mecklenburg County jail records reviewed by WSOC-TV show Simpson was released at 12:21 a.m. Wednesday after posting bond on an outstanding warrant related to a 2024 charge of possessing a weapon as a prisoner. Police received the shooting call at about 1:45 a.m., 1 hour and 24 minutes after his release. The circumstances that led to the bond decision were not detailed in the available reports.
Investigators said two men were shot shortly before 2 a.m. at the apartment complex near Eastway Drive. One died at the scene, while the other was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to his arm. Authorities had not publicly identified either man as of Saturday or released an update on the surviving victim’s condition.
Court documents cited by WSOC-TV say the shooting followed an ongoing dispute over a parking space. Police allege Simpson was upset because one of the men had parked in a space near the apartment where Simpson and his girlfriend lived. Investigators said surveillance video appeared to show Simpson approaching the men from behind and firing two shots. Those allegations have not been proven in court.
Two Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers were already in the area when the gunfire was reported, allowing them to reach the complex quickly, police said. Officers searched the property for evidence and spoke with possible witnesses. Police described the investigation as ongoing and asked anyone with information to contact the department.
Simpson’s criminal history includes a 2013 first-degree murder charge in the shooting death of Richard Bonds during a fight in a parking lot on Trade Street. Simpson later pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and served about five years in prison. Local jail records reviewed by WSOC-TV showed numerous additional arrests after his release, but an arrest alone does not establish guilt.
Police also arrested Simpson’s girlfriend, Shameka Scott, on an accessory-after-the-fact charge. Investigators allege that she helped Simpson leave after the shooting. A judge set her bond at $30,000. The available reports did not identify an attorney who could comment for Simpson or Scott.
Simpson initially refused to appear before a judge Friday morning, according to courtroom reporting. The judge ordered him to appear later that day. Simpson subsequently faced the court and remained jailed without bond. No plea or future court date was confirmed in the available reports.
The case remains under investigation. Police have not released the victims’ names, a detailed account of Simpson’s arrest or additional evidence beyond the surveillance footage and court allegations described in local reports.
Author note: Last updated August 1, 2026.