Marion County State’s Attorney Tim Hudspeth has charged a 17-year-old juvenile as an adult in connection with the April shooting in Laura Leake Park that sent two to St. Louis hospitals for treatment.
Deavion Meredith was just three days shy of his 18th birthday when the shooting occurred and was being held in juvenile detention in Franklin County. But with the State’s Attorney’s decision to charge him as an adult with a Class X felony of aggravated discharge with a firearm he was transported back to the Marion County Jail on Wednesday. Bond on the warrant is set at $300,000.
18-year-old Shavonte Samuels of Ashley was charged with two counts of aggravated battery and aggravated discharge of a firearm in connection with the shooting that wounded Zykevious Burnett and Nyree Dugans.
In Samuels’ preliminary hearing, Hudspeth said the shooting occurred during a disagreement between Burnett and Samuels. Samuels is accused of pulling a gun and shooting both Burnett and Dugans, who had come to the park with Burnett, was standing about 15 feet away. Testimony indicated Meredith then pulled a gun and also allegedly fired towards Burnett.
Samuels’ attorney, Dennis Hatch, argued during the preliminary hearing Samuels was acting in self-defense after allegedly being shoved by Burnett who was much bigger in stature than Samuels. Samuels remains in the Marion County Jail in lieu of a half-million dollars bond.
