Solicitor: Suspect in Coligny Beach shooting should be tried as adult
A 15-year-old boy suspected in the fatal shooting of Dominique Williams at Coligny Beach Park on July 19 should be charged as an adult, Solicitor Duffie Stone said Tuesday.
Stone has filed a motion petitioning a Family Court judge to charge the boy with murder as an adult in connection with the Hilton Head Island shooting, he said.
There is no timetable for the judge to make a decision.
According to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, Williams had been in a fist fight with the suspect the previous evening outside Cordillo Courts apartments.
Witnesses said the shooter made no remarks as he faced Williams near the Coligny Beach Park water fountain and pulled the trigger once.
A Family Court judge will make a decision based on seven factors outlined by the U.S. Supreme Court. Those include the seriousness of the offense, whether it was premeditated and resulted in injury, the child's prior involvement with the juvenile justice system and likelihood of rehabilitating the child through the court's resources.
Another factor is the sophistication and maturity of the child, as determined by his home life, emotional attitude and living situation.
Stone has requested a pretrial evaluation to determine the suspect's sophistication and maturity. That will be carried out by the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice, which is holding the suspect in Columbia.
Reached Tuesday, Capt. Bob Bromage of the Sheriff's Office said investigators have reviewed video of the slaying and fist fight. There is no evidence that anyone but the suspect was armed, he said.
Bromage and Stone declined to release other details of the investigation.
"I've been briefed on a lot of information concerning the case, but none I can turn over at this point," Stone said.
Follow reporter Rebecca Lurye on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Rebecca.
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- Teen's slaying a first at Coligny Beach Park, July 20, 2015
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This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 3:57 PM with the headline "Solicitor: Suspect in Coligny Beach shooting should be tried as adult."