A 17-year-old St. Peter boy has been charged as an adult in Fayette County with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and aggravated discharge of a firearm in connection with the Saturday night shooting death of a 14-year-old Salem boy.
All three charges against Kaden Phillips say without legal justification, he shot the 14-year-old in the chest with a gun. The victim, Dakota Caige Branch, was pronounced dead on the scene of the shooting inside a residence in the 700 block of North 2200 Street in St. Peter.
State Police and the Fayette County State’s Attorney’s office are not commenting on any known motive for the shooting.
Branch was an eighth grader at Franklin Park Middle School in Salem. His funeral services have been scheduled at the Crouse Funeral Home in Salem. Click here for obituary information.
