Two teens accused of planning a murderous crime spree on March 2 and 3 in Atlas Township were formally charged last week in Genesee County’s 67th District Court.
Genesee County Sheriff’s Department Captain Chris Swanson told The Citizen last week the teens had apparently intended to commit an assortment of crimes ‘including robbery and murder? and allegedly shot at a deputy when things began to go awry.
Prosecuting Attorney David Leyton released a statement March 9 saying the older of the teens, 15, was charged as an adult with the following nine counts: Assault with intent to murder a deputy; concealing or disposal of a stolen firearm; larceny of a firearm; assault with a dangerous weapon; discharge of a firearm into an occupied building; carrying a concealed weapon; possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony; resisting/obstructing a police officer and fleeing and eluding in the fourth degree.
The younger teen, who was 14 at the time of the alleged offenses, 15 when he was charged, was charged on a petition to family court, meaning it will be at the discretion of their judge whether or not he will be charged as an adult.
Leyton said the teen was charged with the following five counts: Receiving and concealing a stolen firearm; assault with a dangerous weapon; discharge of a firearm at an occupied building; carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
‘I do not take this action lightly,? said Leyton of the charges. ‘I am well aware if the ages of the two men. Youth violence is a serious concern to me and to the community. In making these charging decisions I have to balance the seriousness of the offenses, the danger to the community and the ages and background of the offenders. In this instance, the crimes are serious. They include shooting at a police officer.?
Pretrial for the older teen was set for March 16 in 67th District Court; March 22 for the younger teen.
Swanson said the trouble began when Deputy Matt McKay encountered the teens near Hegel Road and M-15 at 1:30 a.m. on March 2. Allegedly they had devised a plan that one of them would stand in the middle of the road and flag down the next vehicle to come by. After the vehicle had stopped, the other teen would shoot the driver of the vehicle in the head, using a .22 caliber and a 9 mm. gun stolen from one of the teen’s grandfather. Then, said Swanson, the teens intended to steal the vehicle and go to Detroit.
However, that plan was disrupted when the next car down the road happened to be a sheriff’s patrol car, and the teens fled on foot, said Swanson.
Swanson said the teens then revised their plan to go shoot at the Quick Sav,10318 Hegel Road in Goodrich, and when the clerk came out to investigate, shoot the clerk, rob the store and steal a car before heading to Detroit. After that plan was also foiled, the teens shot at the deputy, and, thinking they had struck him in the head, fled the scene.
The teens allegedly had similar plans for the Last Chance Party Store, 5545 S.State Road in Goodrich said Swanson.