A 16-year-old Jacksonville boy has accepted an eight-year prison sentence for shooting two teenage brothers in Little Rock in February.
Sentencing papers filed Friday by deputy prosecutor Lauren Eldridge show that Travon Rice has pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree battery for shooting Braylan Penney, 16, and Brian Penney, 18, both of Little Rock. Rice faced a maximum of 20 years in prison on each of the Class B felony charges.
Under the plea agreement negotiated by Rice's public defender, Maryann Furrer, prosecutors dropped an aggravated assault count representing accusations he fired a gun at another boy, 16-year-old Christopher Sheard. Brian Penney was grazed on the foot by a bullet, but Braylan Penney needed surgery for the gunshot wound in his right leg, police said.
Rice was charged as an adult. Last month, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Barry Sims denied Rice's motion to be tried in juvenile court, where he was already on probation for fleeing and theft convictions.
Eldridge argued against the transfer, noting testimony from Rice's probation officer that showed Rice had committed 25 juvenile offenses and detention infractions between 2013 and 2018. The judge also heard testimony that Rice is a member of the Blood street gang. At the time of the shooting, Rice had been wanted since July 2018 on a juvenile release revocation warrant.
Arrested about 2½ weeks after the shooting, Rice admitted to firing on the three teens, court filings show. He's been jailed ever since.
The brothers told police that they and Sheard had gone to Wynne Street so Braylan Penney could meet up with someone he knew as Tra Tra to buy an Xbox video game system. Tra Tra was later identified as Rice.
The three arrived by car and found Rice and a man they did not know. Braylan Penney said Rice asked him if he wanted to see his gun collection, then pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Brian Penney.
Brian Penney told police that he grabbed Rice's arm and the two grappled until he pushed Rice back. During the struggle, Sheard grabbed a second gun Rice was carrying in his waistband. Sheard and the brothers fled, and Rice chased them firing a gun.
The brothers were wounded as they ran. Sheard said he returned fire when the brothers fell.
Court files show that Rice told police that his cousin, 17-year-old Cyrus Lamon Walker, was the other person with him and that Walker also fired at the teens.
Walker, who lives on Wynne Street near where the brothers were shot, was not charged, but court files show that he and Desmond Demonte Dennis, 18, have since been charged in a July 11 drive-by shooting on South Ringo Street in Little Rock that wounded Shannon Fells, 43, with bullets striking the homes of Donna Fudail, 61, and Jack Lewis, 75.
Walker and Dennis were arrested four days later.
The two are each charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm, first-degree battery and two counts of committing a terroristic act. The charges together carry a potential life sentence.
Metro on 10/16/2019