Police said the victim was trying to intervene when the 17-year-old suspect opened fire inside a Concord home.
CONCORD, NC — A 17-year-old Charlotte boy has been charged as an adult after police said he fatally shot his girlfriend’s father and seriously injured the girl during an argument early Monday at a Concord home.
Keshaun Tirrell Degraffenreid faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of Lester Earl Jones, 47, along with several other charges tied to the shooting on Bedlington Drive NW. Concord police said the investigation remains active, and officials had not released an updated condition for the 16-year-old girl.
Police said officers were sent to the home at 12:39 a.m. Monday, June 1, after a report of an assault with injury. When officers arrived, they found Jones and the 16-year-old girl suffering from gunshot wounds. Jones was pronounced dead at the scene. The girl was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. Police said Degraffenreid and the girl were dating and had been arguing before the violence began. Investigators said the argument escalated into an assault, and Jones was shot while trying to intervene. “The preliminary investigation indicates the suspect and 16-year-old victim were dating and had an argument that escalated into an assault,” police said.
Court records cited in local reports say Degraffenreid punched the girl in the face before the shooting. Detectives said he fired multiple rounds from a 9mm handgun inside the home, striking Jones and seriously wounding the girl. Officers found Degraffenreid on a nearby street after he left the scene, police said. He ran from officers before he was arrested after a brief foot chase. Police have not said who called 911, how many people were inside the home at the time or whether the gun had been recovered. Officials also had not released more details about the girl’s injuries by Tuesday afternoon.
The shooting happened in a residential area of Concord, a Cabarrus County city about 26 miles northeast of uptown Charlotte. Bedlington Drive NW sits in a neighborhood of single-family homes, where police activity before dawn drew attention after the emergency call. Jones was identified by police after the initial response. Officials described him as the father of the 16-year-old girl and said he was trying to step into the dispute when he was shot. The case has drawn local attention because both the suspect and the surviving victim are minors, while the most serious charge against Degraffenreid is being handled in adult court.
Degraffenreid is charged with first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, misdemeanor domestic violence, resisting officers, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Police said he is being prosecuted as an adult. The filing of charges marks the start of the criminal case, but many key steps remain. Officials had not announced a next court date, a bond decision or whether additional charges could be filed. Investigators also had not said whether any other people were being sought in connection with the shooting.
The first police statements focused on the sequence of the argument, the attempt by Jones to intervene and the arrest nearby. Neighbors and relatives had not been publicly identified in official accounts, and police did not release a detailed scene description beyond the home and nearby street where the suspect was found. The case also left several unanswered questions, including what started the argument and how the gun came into the home. Concord police said detectives were continuing to review evidence and gather information after the fatal shooting.
The case remained under investigation Wednesday, June 3. Degraffenreid was in custody on adult charges, Jones was dead and the 16-year-old girl’s latest medical condition had not been released.
Author note: Last updated June 3, 2026.