The family of La’Nard Gaddy is thankful that Jerome Planter rejected a plea deal, saying the agreement was never enough.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A man charged with murder in connection with a deadly 2023 shooting in east Charlotte rejected a plea deal and will now face trial.
Jerome Planter appeared in court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty. He is facing several charges, including murder, in a shooting that happened in June 2023 near a lounge on Independence Boulevard.
The shooting claimed the life of 33-year-old La’Nard Gaddy and left three others injured.
With the plea deal off the table, the prosecution says the state will now seek the maximum possible punishment: life in prison without parole.
Gaddy’s family and friends packed the courtroom Thursday, wearing shirts and buttons in his honor. They say they’re relieved the case will now be heard before a jury.
“Even though he is not here, in spirit he is watching us,” Gaddy’s sister Shatar Mobley said. “So, for him to see us come together, fight for him … that’s the cause.”
Mobley said the plea deal wasn’t enough.
“The plea deal wasn’t nothing, so I’m glad he didn’t take the plea deal,” she said.
Gaddy’s family described him as joyful, outgoing, and full of life.
“La’Nard was a bubbly person, a burst of energy. He met no stranger,” said Mobley. “La’Nard was just a lovable person.”
The family continues to honor his memory through regular gatherings they call “Gee Day.”
“We come together every other month for Gee Day,” Shaternarda Gaddy, another of La’Nard’s sisters, said. “Representing La’Nard, sharing memories, talking about him and being in unity with each other.”
Now, the family says they’re preparing for trial and say justice for them means only one thing.
“Life in prison without parole,” both sisters said.
WCNC Charlotte will continue to follow this case as it moves forward in court.
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