A 17-year-old accused in the shooting death of another 17-year-old had his case sent to the Hamilton County grand jury this morning.
Lonta Burress Jr. appeared today in front of Criminal Court Judge Bob Moon, who said there was enough evidence to let the grand jury decide whether to officially indict Burress on criminal homicide.
The charge is in connection with the June 1 shooting death of Darrius “Little D” Townsend.
At the time of the shooting, a witness told police he watched Burress stand over Townsend in the 900 block of Taylor Street. Townsend was lying on the street with his hands in the air and said, “Don’t do me like this man,” according to the arrest report.
On Aug. 11, Burress also is due in court to face aggravated assault, evading arrest, reckless driving and other charges related to a December school bus stop shooting in which police say Burress participated.
About 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 7, police said, someone in a stolen red Ford F-150 truck fired six to 10 shots from two .38-caliber revolvers at students standing at the 3210 Through St. bus stop. No one was injured.
Prosecutors dropped charges that connected Burress to a March 2010 Coolidge Park shooting that injured five in a crowd of hundreds after a key witness, Dejuan Upshaw, changed testimony on the witness stand.
For complete details, see tomorrow’s Times Free Press.
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