North Carolina Prank Backfires as Convicted Felon Boyfriend Opens Fire on Car
A North Carolina woman's attempt to play a prank on her convicted felon boyfriend ended in a terrifying shooting incident after he took her joke seriously, leading to multiple charges and a probation sentence.
The Prank That Sparked Violence
According to an affidavit reviewed by the Daily Mail, 20-year-old Nevaeh Covington decided to pretend she was romantically involved with another man as a prank on her boyfriend, Shyhied Ivey, 20. The incident occurred on April 5 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Covington told police that she and four friends—Gernala Covington, Quimya James, Damion Rann, and Nadiya Cousart-Thompson—had been at Camp North End, a local shopping mall, getting food together earlier that night. Covington and Rann then devised the prank, which involved Rann calling Ivey and pretending to be cheating with Covington.
The Chase and Shooting
After relaying the message to Ivey, the five friends drove away but soon realized they were being followed by Ivey in another car. Covington had shared her location with him through Find My iPhone, she told police. An irate Ivey, who had been arrested six times in 2024, called Covington and began driving recklessly, attempting to get them to pull over while appearing to fire a handgun into the air multiple times.
Covington and her friends pulled up to the intersection of Freedom Drive and Wesley Village Road in the left turning lane when Ivey pulled his vehicle next to theirs and fired approximately three shots at Gernala Covington's red Nissan Altima. The suspect then fled the scene. Gernala's rear right window was shattered by the bullets, but no injuries were reported.
Police Investigation and Evidence
Officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department responded to Columbus Circle just after midnight following a report of assault with a deadly weapon. Detectives located footage from DOT cameras showing Ivey's black Nissan Sedan pulling up on the right side of the red Nissan. The clip also showed three bright bursts coming from Ivey's vehicle as glass shattered inside Gernala's car.
Officers discovered a shell casing at the scene that appeared fresh and had no road marks. Rann told police he received a text message from Ivey around 1:32 a.m., stating: Stop playing wimme bro.
Criminal History and Charges
Ivey has been charged with five counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, discharging a firearm into an occupied conveyance in operation, domestic violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was sentenced on April 9 to 24 months of supervised probation.
Ivey is a convicted felon with an extensive criminal history. He pleaded guilty to larceny of a motor vehicle for a crime committed on December 6, 2023, in Mecklenburg County. He was arrested six times in 2024 for crimes including breaking and entering a motor vehicle and felony conspiracy, and was released for all of them. He was also arrested on March 24 for violating his probation and later released.
Ivey is set to appear in court on April 23. The Daily Mail contacted the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's office and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for comment.
