David Simpson, 29, a convicted killer and repeat violent offender, has been charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and possession of a firearm by a felon. The charges stem from a shooting that occurred on July 29 at an east Charlotte apartment complex in North Carolina.

Court records obtained by WCNC show Simpson was released from the Mecklenburg County Jail at 12:20 a.m. after posting a $10,000 bond on an unrelated charge of possession of a weapon by a prisoner. Police reported the shooting happened less than two hours later, around 1:45 a.m., leaving one man dead and another seriously wounded.

A Mecklenburg County judge ordered Simpson to be held without bond following the incident. Investigators noted that roughly 30 seconds after his release, Simpson was seen jogging back toward his apartment handling a bag before driving away.

Simpson has a prior criminal history, including a 2013 charge of first-degree murder for a fatal shooting, to which he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in 2015, according to Queen City News.

The case has raised questions about why Simpson, with a history of violent crimes, was free on bond. Critics have questioned the early release policies that allowed him to post bond and be released shortly before the shooting.

Notable remarks include: "If you look at his history, it seems like this gentleman has picked up just about every year up to this point some kind of a violent crime," and "So you kind of have to ask the question: Why wasn't he already in jail?" Another comment stated, "We know what these top 1% of repeat offenders are going to do, and for some reason, we just don't have the appetite to take action," while one observer said, "It feels like 'Groundhog Day,' to be quite honest."

Sources