A Marrero teenager accused of accidentally shooting his 9-year-old cousin has pleaded not guilty to charges of negligent homicide and obstruction of justice, according to Jefferson Parish court records.
The Jefferson Parish district attorney’s office filed a bill of information on April 11 formally charging Kamone Thomas, 18, in the death of his cousin, Marquis Thomas Jr.
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Marquis died of a gunshot wound to the head on Feb. 13. The two boys were playing video games about 10:12 p.m. in Thomas’ bedroom at the family’s Rue Racine home in Marrero when relatives overheard a pop in the residence, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Family members rushed into the room and found Marquis lying in a pool of blood. Thomas at first said Marquis had been “fooling” with a gun and accidentally shot himself, according to authorities.
Relatives loaded Marquis into a car and drove him to West Jefferson Hospital in Marrero, JPSO said. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
Sheriff’s office detectives realized Thomas’ story didn’t add up after checking out ballistics and other evidence at the scene, Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said. Thomas eventually admitted the gun discharged, striking Marquis when Thomas tried to grab the weapon from the boy’s hand, according to authorities.
Thomas also confessed to tossing the gun into a canal in a panic after the shooting, the Sheriff’s Office said.
In addition to negligent homicide and obstruction of justice, Thomas was charged with possession of 14 grams of marijuana. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges on April 17, court records said.
Thomas was being held Tuesday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna in lieu of a $175,500 bond. He returns to court on for a status hearing on May 13.
via nola.comhttps://www.nola.com
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