A Mecklenburg County courthouse became the scene of raw, heartbreaking emotion Thursday when a grieving father allegedly attacked the man accused of murdering his 16-year-old son.
Shaheem Snype, 47, was arrested after authorities say he lunged at 21-year-old Marion McKnight inside the Charlotte courthouse. McKnight is charged with fatally shooting Snype’s son, Jamariyae Dixon, last spring. Video circulating from the courthouse hallway appears to show Snype rushing toward McKnight and striking him repeatedly before a deputy deployed a Taser to stop the assault.
McKnight was transported to a hospital following the incident. Snype was charged with misdemeanor assault inflicting serious injury. He was released from jail hours later after posting a $1,000 bond, according to local reports.
The confrontation occurred as McKnight, who had been released on a $100,000 bond in November 2025, returned to court. Prosecutors had filed a motion seeking to revoke his bond. He has been living at his mother’s home under electronic monitoring since his release.
For Dixon’s family, the courthouse encounter was a flashpoint in a case that has left lasting wounds.
Jamariyae Dixon was shot on May 23, 2025, during an incident at Stroud Park Court, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Officers responding to the scene found three victims suffering from gunshot wounds. All were transported to local hospitals, and Dixon was pronounced dead two days later at Atrium Health.
Investigators later identified McKnight as a suspect and charged him with murder after questioning him on May 28.
Family members have expressed anguish over McKnight’s bond release, saying they believe he should not have been free while awaiting trial. Dixon’s aunt, Susan Sherrill, described the father’s reaction as the eruption of unresolved grief.
“He did what he had to do as a father,” Sherrill said. “Any father would’ve did the same thing. We’re still grieving. This is a wound that will never ever close because my nephew was 16 years old, and he should still be here with us.”
Dixon’s mother, Lynnette Dixon, was not present during the courthouse altercation but later saw the footage. She said the video brought her an unexpected emotional response.
“My face smiled,” she said. “I smiled. That was the first time I had a real smile since my son been gone.”
The case now carries two legal tracks: the pending murder charge against McKnight and the misdemeanor assault charge against Snype.
