A third suspect has been charged in two slayings that occurred Sept. 3. Police believe those killings were in retaliation after a clash between two street gangs left one person dead.
Friday morning, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jill Reed summarized the findings of a probable-cause affidavit during a hearing before District Judge Kim Bridgforth, accusing Rashad Thompson, 17, of two counts of capital murder, one count of first-degree battery, three counts of committing a terroristic act and three counts of unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle.
Thompson is accused, along with Hekeryin Cain, 23, and Bryant Smith, 33, of being involved in the Sept. 3 shooting deaths of 17-year-old Emonya Moten and 20-year-old Kavon Mitchell at two sites about 20 minutes apart.
The first-degree battery count is related to the wounding of a third man, Cedric LaPoole , 23. Moten and LaPoole were shot at a residence at 1704 S. Elm St. about 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 3, and Mitchell was shot about 20 minutes later 2 miles away at 25 Needles Drive in the Dollarway area.
Cain was arrested at a Pine Bluff apartment Sept. 6, and Smith was found just over three weeks later in southeast Kansas where he had fled and was reportedly hiding out with friends. He was booked into the Jefferson County jail on Sept. 29. Both Cain and Smith are being held without bail on capital-murder, battery and other charges.
A witness to the shootings at 1704 Elm St. told police that they heard what sounded like fireworks behind them, looked back, and saw a man hanging out of a greenish-blue Chevrolet Malibu shooting toward the residence. The witness told police the shooting paused, then began again, and then the Malibu headed toward Main Street. The witness then turned around, drove past 1704 Elm St., saw a man lying on the ground and called 911, a probable-cause affidavit said.
When police arrived, they found Moten shot to death and LaPoole suffering from gunshot wounds.
LaPoole later told police that he and Moten were outside the residence when he saw two men shooting at them from a blue Chevrolet Impala, and he said he immediately began to run, the affidavit said. He said the gunshots paused and then began again, and he told police he did not look to see if the second round of gunfire came from the same vehicle as the first.
A short time later, the call came in about the shooting at 25 Needles Drive, and one of the detectives went there to find Mitchell suffering from several gunshot wounds. He died a short time later at Jefferson Regional Medical Center.
A security video from a nearby residence recorded the incident, the affidavit said, showing a greenish-blue Malibu pulling up to Mitchell's residence and being rammed immediately by a blue Impala that was right behind. The video showed the occupants of both vehicles begin shooting at Mitchell, with several shots striking him as he was sitting on the front porch. The video showed Mitchell begin to run around the residence before collapsing in the yard, at which time both vehicles sped away to the west on South Richard Street.
The owner of the Impala later told police that she had lent the car to Cain shortly before the South Elm Street shooting occurred and that he brought it back damaged in the front end a short time after the Needles Drive shooting.
The owner of the Malibu later told police that she had lent her car to Smith about 4 p.m. on Sept. 3 and that he returned it with damage to the rear about 6 p.m. She told police that Smith arrived with three men in a blue Impala and that Smith gave her keys to one of the men in the Impala whom he later identified as Thompson from a photo lineup.
According to the affidavit, Pine Bluff police believe the shootings were part wave of violence between two rival street gangs, named in the affidavit as "EBK/MG" and "MOB." According to the affidavit, Thompson, Smith and Cain are believed to be members of MOB, and Moten, Mitchell and LaPoole were identified in the affidavit as members or associates of EBK/MG.
At 2 p.m. that same day, the bloodshed began with the shooting death of 69-year-old Horace Harrington in the carport of his residence at 3101 Lilac St. in Pine Bluff in what police, according to the affidavit, believe was part of the same gang-related violence. Vernon McCraney , 18, identified in the affidavit as a member of EBK/MG, is charged with first-degree murder in that shooting and is being held in lieu of $500,000 bond in the Jefferson County jail.
The shootings of Moten, Mitchell and LaPoole are believed to have been done in retaliation for the shooting death of Harrington a few hours earlier.
The affidavit said that some of Harrington's family members living at the same residence are believed to be members of MOB.
According to the affidavit, a recent sweep at the county jail recovered a number of cellphones that contained information regarding possible retaliation against several named MOB members or associates for the deaths of Moten and Mitchell. In addition, the affidavit said, police received information suggesting several retaliatory acts may have occurred in Pulaski County, including a drive-by shooting at a Little Rock residence police believe was perpetrated by EBK/MG members against a MOB member who has family living at 3101 Lilac St.
Bridgforth ordered Thompson held without bail and ordered him to be back in District Court on Dec. 8 at 9 a.m. for a first appearance on the charges. Because of his age, he is being held in the Jack Jones Juvenile Detention Center. Although a final determination is yet to be made, Prosecuting Attorney Kyle Hunter said it is likely that Thompson will be tried as an adult.