A 19-year-old North Little Rock man accused of shooting into a rival's home told police he believed he was doing the Lord's work when he opened fire, a Pulaski County prosecutor said Thursday.
Shykwan Earl Franklin is accused in two shootings in June -- the second of which wounded a man and nearly injured a baby -- deputy prosecutor Scott Duncan told Pulaski County Circuit Judge Leon Johnson.
He is charged with aggravated assault, first-degree battery and two counts of committing a terroristic act.
Franklin was arrested at his mother's home, where he had been living, at the Parkway Place Apartments on Parkway Drive on July 14, about two weeks after the second shooting.
On Thursday, two weeks before his 20th birthday, Franklin was in court to try to persuade the judge to reduce his $50,000 bail.
The judge declined to reduce it, and the prosecutor questioned whether the amount was substantial enough to guarantee that Franklin would be in court. His mother, Lisa Smith, told the judge that the family could afford only $15,000.
On June 29 in Little Rock, Franklin and Willie Johnson, 20, were arguing and eventually exchanging punches, Duncan said. Franklin stepped away, got a gun and opened fire, wounding Johnson, the prosecutor said. Police said Johnson was wounded in the buttocks.
Duncan said one shot went into the home shared by Tabeal Miller and Darius Williams Jr. at the Warren House Apartments, 2000 Reservoir Road. The bullet pierced a wall close to where an infant was sleeping, Duncan told the judge.
Police have several eyewitnesses to the shooting, the prosecutor said.
Questioned after his arrest, Franklin admitted to the shooting and laughed as he told officers it felt good to shoot at the man, "like God was judging" the man, Duncan told the judge.
Franklin also told police that the shell casings from the Warren House shooting would match the shell casings found after another man, Damonteago Barnum, was shot at June 16 in Little Rock, the prosecutor said.
In addition, Franklin is awaiting trial on drug-trafficking and gun charges in Camden, Duncan said.
Metro on 08/29/2014