A Charlotte, North Carolina man has pled guilty to civil rights violations for a bias-fueled incident involving a firearm. Would his victims have benefited from permitless carry in the Tar Heel State?
According to an August 19, 2025 Department of Justice report, 32-year-old Maurice Hopkins pled guilty to civil rights violations. Hopkins stood before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez for the Western District of North Carolina on charges related to a June 8, 2024 incident where he harassed and threatened eight Black patrons inside a pizzeria. Hopkins approached the victims with a firearm after verbal altercations. No one was injured, but this calls the question: does this underscore the need for permitless carry in North Carolina?
When Hopkins encountered the victims, who were a group of friends getting pizza at the time, he asked if they were American. Hopkins then proceeded to harass the victims calling them terrorists, demanding they speak English, telling them to go back to their country, and making other statements because of the victims’ race, color, religion, and national origin. Court records show that Hopkins made multiple threats, including threatening to punch the victims in the face and go retrieve a firearm and return to kill them. Hopkins then left the restaurant and returned minutes later, walking through the doorway with a loaded AR-15 style rifle. The victims immediately fled through the door in the rear of the restaurant.
Charlotte, North Carolina is located in Mecklenburg County. Under the leadership of Sheriff Garry McFadden, Mecklenburg is known for inflicting excessive delays on concealed carry permit applications. McFadden who’s been Sheriff since 2018 has been sued several times over the slow-walking of permit processing.
There’s currently a push for permitless carry in North Carolina — full disclosure, this is an initiative that I’ve personally championed for — and this bias-related incident shows a need for kicking the permitting system to the curb.
While Charlotte has a poverty rate of 11.69 percent, below the 20 percent threshold of what’s considered a “bad” rate, how equally distributed is that poverty? Would the $90.00 concealed carry permit fee in Mecklenburg County serve as a barrier to the right to carry if you fall on the wrong side of that poverty rate?
As Hopkins admitted in court today, he threatened the eight individuals with force because of their race, color, religion, and national origin and because they were enjoying the goods, services, and facilities of the restaurant. Hopkins pleaded guilty to one count of interference with federally protected activities, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Thankfully none of the eight people who were attacked by Hopkins were injured. But, the “what if?” comes into play. What if Hopkins was even more determined to cause harm, turned the firearm on members of the party, and started firing? It’s evident that his victims were probably not armed, as this would have been a use-of-force story.
North Carolina lawmakers have an opportunity to make permitless carry a reality. They’d be the 30th state to kick the restriction and probably the final one to remove these barriers in the U.S. willingly. No one should have to pay $90.00 and wait an excessive amount of time to exercise a constitutional right. With the permitting system broken under Sheriff McFadden in Mecklenburg County — the second most populated county in N.C. and most densely populated as well — what further proof do the legislators need to embrace permitless carry?
Editor’s Note: The Second Amendment shouldn’t come with a permission slip, or government fees.
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