Charlotte — A quiet Friday morning in northwest Charlotte turned tragic when a longtime Bank of America employee was shot and killed near the branch where she worked, police say. The woman, 50-year-old Ina Michelle Lang, was found on the sidewalk just off Callabridge Court shortly after 10:30 a.m. Friday, suffering from a gunshot wound. Medics pronounced her dead at the scene.
Friends and co-workers described Lang as a familiar face in the banking community. She had worked at the bank for years and was known for helping customers with a steady, friendly manner. Friday’s violence ripped through the calm of the business district, leaving staff and neighbors stunned.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department detectives said multiple 911 calls alerted them to shots fired near the ATM area of the Bank of America branch in the 9700 block of Callabridge Court, not far from Brookshire Boulevard. When officers arrived, they found Lang unresponsive on the sidewalk. Investigators immediately began treating the scene as a homicide.
By late afternoon, police received a tip from a witness who said they saw someone leave the area in a yellow Dodge Charger right after the shooting. That clue led officers to track a vehicle matching the description to a home on Quail Street near Charlotte Douglas International Airport. As the search unfolded, SWAT teams surrounded the residence and called for the suspect to surrender.
Authorities announced that 22-year-old Sam’on Andrew Smith was taken into custody at the scene Friday evening. Police charged him with murder in connection with Lang’s death. Details about a motive or what led up to the shooting have not yet been released, and detectives say the investigation is ongoing.
Family members, still coming to terms with the loss, described Lang as someone devoted to her community. Messages of support poured in online from former friends and colleagues who remembered her for kindness and professionalism. Police urged anyone with additional information to reach out to Crime Stoppers as the case continues.
At the bank site, yellow police tape remained in place through the afternoon, a stark reminder of lives changed here. In the coming days, investigators plan to release more details about what led to the shooting and any possible connection between Smith and Lang.
