A 15-year-old is now being held in custody on a second-degree murder charge stemming from the fatal stabbing of a Jennings 14-year-old walking home from school last week.
The suspect, whose name has not being made public, was taken into custody last night in Jefferson City and is currently being held at a St. Louis County Family Court facility in Clayton.
The 15-year-old is accused of killing Justin Brooks last week Tuesday around 3 p.m., a short distance away from Rose Mary Johnson Jennings Junior High School. A school resource office was the first to respond to the scene and, despite the officer administering first aid and Brooks being taken to a hospital, the teen succumbed to his wounds that afternoon.
Brooks has been remembered as a star athlete who was a leader who was a leader on his rec league basketball team. A GoFundMe set up for his family has raised $5,000.
Because of the suspect's age, his case will play out largely away from public view in juvenile court unless he is certified as an adult. If that happens, his case will be adjudicated in St. Louis County Circuit Court, with the office of County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell handling the matter.
With all second-degree murder cases involving juveniles, a certification hearing is required to determine if the suspect should be treated as an adult. The decision is up to the family court judge assigned to the case.
Brooks’ fatal stabbing occurred just a few days after the beating of Kaylee Gain near Hazelwood East High School. Video of Gain’s head being slammed into the sidewalk drew outrage online. Because of its serious nature, the 15-year-old suspect in that case will have a certification hearing as well.
Subscribe to Riverfront Times newsletters.Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
