Assistant Solicitor Shipp Daniel said in juvenile court Wednesday that he intends to try the 16-year old who shot a man nine times outside Sarah’s Tobacco Store on July 21 as an adult. The juvenile, who will remain unnamed until the family court approves Daniel’s request, was in juvenile court Wednesday for his first hearing. Family Court Judge Salley McIntyre agreed with Daniel that the juvenile should remain in detention rather than be released to his parents.
The Court also ordered a pre-waiver evaluation be completed on the juvenile. That evaluation is required before any juvenile can be tried as an adult. Upon completion of that evaluation (which usually takes 90-120 days), a formal hearing will be conducted where a family court judge will ultimately decide if the juvenile can be tried as an adult.
During Wednesday’s hearing, law enforcement told the Court that the juvenile confessed to police and said he shot the victim because the victim owed him money. Law enforcement recovered the gun during its investigation. Daniel commended the Dillon Police Department, specifically Detective Monroe Herring who is handling this case.
Daniel stressed that everyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty.