FORT SMITH — A man and a teenager went before a Sebastian County circuit judge Wednesday on first-degree battery charges in the shooting last weekend that left one man dead and his brother injured.
A warrant has been issued for a 16-year-old boy who also is charged with first-degree battery. As of Wednesday, he had not been arrested, Prosecuting Attorney Dan Shue said.
Diego Salazar, 22, pleaded innocent to first-degree battery before Circuit Judge Stephen Tabor, according to court records. The public defender’s off ice was appointed to represent him.
His bail was set at $100,000.
Tabor appointed the Public Defender Commission to represent Ariel Michael Barroso, 15, on the first-degree battery charge. He did not enter a plea because no attorney was present for him but Tabor set Barroso’s bail at $75,000, according to a court official.
Court records show Barroso and Salazar were arrested Tuesday on warrants.
Salazar, Barroso and the 16-year-old were charged with the wounding of Herbert Morris, a minor, who was shot at the same time Saturday his brother, Christopher Morris, 35, was shot and killed.
Shue said no charges have been filed in Christopher Morris’ death because the investigation was ongoing. He said interviews still were being conducted and the medical examiner had not reported the results of Morris’ autopsy.
Shue said Barroso and the other teen were being charged as adults because causing serious physical injury and possibly death to persons using a firearm was a serious felony.
Affidavits filed with the arrest warrants said that on Saturday, Barroso and Herbert Morris were arguing at Morris’ home at 1405 North 21st St. Barroso left but returned to the home later that evening with Salazar and the 16-year-old.
Barroso got into an argument with Christopher Morris, according to the affidavits. Police say at one point Morris produced a shotgun over which he and Barroso struggled. Salazar and the 16-year-old joined in the struggle and wrestled the gun from Morris.
The affidavits stated that Salazar or the 16-year-old shot and killed Morris with the shotgun and wounded Herbert Morris, who was taken to a Fort Smith hospital.
Police spokesman Sgt. Daniel Grubbs said Wednesday that Herbert Morris remained in stable condition and was expected to recover from his injuries.
Court records show that Salazar has been convicted in circuit court four times since 2010 on drug, battery and firearms charges and has served terms in state prison and the county jail.