TACOMA, Wash. — The teen accused of robbing a Tacoma dispensary and fatally shooting an employee in 2022 appeared in court Friday for a hearing on whether he will be charged as an adult.
Prosecutors and the suspect's defense made their arguments. However, a judge won't decide on whether the 15-year-old will be charged as an adult until Aug. 21.
The suspect is facing a first-degree murder charge.
The suspect is accused of robbing World of Weed Cannabis Dispensary in March 2022 along with Montrell Hatfield, 16, which led to the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Jordan Brown of Gig Harbor.
Charging documents allege the suspect shot Brown after he got into an altercation with Hatfield. Police found Brown with a gunshot wound after arriving at the scene and attempted to provide him first aid, however, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Brown's father told KING 5 that his death left a "big hole in all our hearts."
“He missed my daughter’s wedding, he’s gonna miss the birth of his niece or nephew coming up because my daughter is pregnant," Dennis Brown said. "He missed birthdays, he missed Christmases, he missed going to Husky football games with me - so those voids are collateral to all our families.
"Jordan would go to California to hang out with my family. So the family here, it’s just a big hole in all our hearts. Whatever happens in this trial, it’s still gonna be a void in our hearts, forever. Whether he’s tried as a juvenile or adult, that’s never going to go away because Jordan’s not walking through my doors.”
The 15-year-old suspect and Hatfield are linked to multiple other armed robberies. Both were arrested in Kent a week apart approximately a month after the deadly shooting.
Hatfield pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm last year. Hatfield was charged as an adult.