LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Lincoln police have arrested four teens in the city’s first killing of the year.
Anthony Young III, 18, has been charged with being an accessory in the March 26 shooting death of Edgar Union Jr., 22, the Lincoln Journal-Star reported . Young is the oldest person to be arrested in the case.
Two 17-year-olds face similar charges as Young for the case, though they haven’t been ruled adults or juveniles for prosecution.
A shooting suspect in the killing appeared in adult court last week. The teen, 16, is the youngest person accused in a Lincoln homicide since the 1980s, according to police.
Police said the case stands out due to the number of young people involved.
“The majority are still school-age with so much life in front of them,” Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister said.
Nebraska prosecutors consider many factors when determining whether to charge a minor as an adult, including the motive, past criminal history and public safety concerns.
Union’s mother, Monica Brown, said she hopes the shooting suspect is asked to stand trial as an adult “because that’s what he deserves.”
The suspect faces Class 1 felony charges of second-degree murder and gun possession.
Investigators are trying to determine the motive and timeline of events leading up to the shooting, Bliemeister said.
Police know there was a fight at Lincoln Southeast High School involving Union’s associates the day of the shooting, according to Bliemeister. The shooting suspect and one of the 17-year-old accused accomplices were seen leaving the school that afternoon.
The shooting suspect knew Union, and both belonged to feuding gangs, Bliemeister said.
A confrontation involving more than 20 people from different Lincoln gangs occurred that afternoon, ending with a shot fired.
Union died on the porch of a home in the area, according to police.
The shooting suspect is being held at the Lancaster County juvenile detention center on a $1 million bond. The teen suspect’s attorney, Mark Rappl, said they’re exploring options, including asking to transfer the case to juvenile court.
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Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, http://www.journalstar.com
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