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Paris Alonzo Lewis-Bynum Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison Following Charlotte Shootout

Official records state the developing case involves a December 2024 shootout in Charlotte that struck a school bus.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 20, 2026, 10:24 a.m. ET
Paris Alonzo Lewis-Bynum, 21, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was on August 13, 2026, to nine years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm and using a firearm to further drug trafficking activities, according to an official announcement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina. According to official court records, Lewis-Bynum was previously convicted in 2023 for speeding to elude arrest, which prohibited him from possessing a firearm. Court records state that at approximately 3:50 p.m. in December 2024, a shootout occurred near the intersection of W.T. Harris Blvd. and Albemarle Rd. in Charlotte. A school bus full of students was struck multiple times by projectiles from the shooting. Investigators determined Lewis-Bynum was involved in the shootout, and he was arrested on December 16, 2024. Law enforcement also determined he was involved in local drug trafficking activities. Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, stated, "Lewis-Bynum is the type of repeat offender that my office prioritizes for federal prosecution. It is a miracle that none of the children on the school bus were seriously hurt or killed during the shooting. We will not stand idly by when people put our children in danger." Official records state that Lewis-Bynum is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and will be transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department investigated the case, which was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte.

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  1. Version 120 Aug 2026, 14:24current

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