By Meghan Cooke
macooke@charlotteobserver.com

Accompanied by his family, a 20-year-old murder suspect arrived Friday evening at Charlotte-Mecklenburg police headquarters, just blocks from where he is accused of fatally shooting a man last weekend during a night of mayhem uptown.

Antonio Amos Thompkins turned himself in around 6 p.m. Police said that as soon as homicide detectives finished interviewing him, he'd be taken to Mecklenburg jail, where he would remain in custody.

Shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday on Third Street, a gunman shot 22-year-old Antwan Terrell Smith in the head, killing him. Durante Kavon James, 22, was shot in the leg and is expected to recover.

The killing followed a night of unrest that resulted in 70 arrests late Saturday and early Sunday after young people had flocked to uptown, including some who flashed gang signs.

The night-long disturbance has drawn widespread attention in the days since, with some City Council members talking about a tougher curfew ordinance, and Mayor Anthony Foxx and Police Chief Rodney Monroe asking parents to take more responsibility for their children.

The Food Lion Speed Street festival had ended at 11 p.m. Saturday, and trouble escalated not long after that, according to a city report released this week.

Several groups of 50 or more people confronted each other and ignored police commands to disperse. Groups of teens caused panic when they gathered together and yelled "Gun!" before sprinting away.

By the end of the night, Antwan Smith, the father of a 4-year-old, was dead.

Monroe said the shooting was the result of an ongoing neighborhood feud between two groups with gang overtones. But he wouldn't identify the gangs.

Smith's sister disputed that account, telling the Observer that her brother had gone to Speed Street with two friends.

Shatawna Smith said her brother and his friends were approached by men he knew, and they accused one of Smith's friends of theft. A fight erupted and later shots were fired, she said.

She claimed her brother had tried to intervene on behalf of his friends when he was shot.

On Wednesday, police said they'd obtained warrants for Thompkins' arrest on charges of murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

The next day, police said they had reason to believe Thompkins was the suspect in an afternoon robbery at a UNC Charlotte parking deck.

Late Friday, police said Thompkins was no longer a suspect in that robbery.

Police said the weekend shooting remains under investigation.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Anyone with information about the uptown shooting is asked to call 704-432-TIPS or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

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