One of the most tragic and unbelievable murders this year in the city of St. Louis was the fatal shooting of Tyrese Short, a nine-year-old boy who was in a moving car with his father in north St. Louis when a bullet hit him in the head. At the time, police officials said they believed the father was the target, but had few other details to offer on possible suspects.
Now, exactly two months after the homicide, police have apprehended the man they believe is responsible for the boy's death: Marquan Bland, 22, is facing charges of first-degree murder, first-degree assault, armed criminal action, shooting from a moving vehicle and first-degree tampering. Bland lives on Baden Avenue in north St. Louis.
A probable cause statement from the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office says that Bland was driving a Ford 500 with three passengers on July 10 at around 3:30 a.m. pursuing the car where Short was located.
See also: 6-Year-Old Boy Accidentally Shoots Leonard Smith, 11, in Belleville; Echoes 2011 Tragedy
Bland and his three passengers allegedly fired multiple times at the other car, until one of the bullets hit the boy in the head, the charges say. Police believe Short was in the passenger seat and his family told reporters at the time that they were on their way home from some sort of gathering with family friends.
Bland allegedly admitted to police that he knew the Ford 500 was stolen.
The charges outline his lengthy criminal history: Police say he has been convicted in the city of St. Louis for unlawful use of a weapon, first-degree tampering, resisting arrest and second-degree burglary. He also has pending cases of unlawful possession of a firearm and resisting arrest.
The death of Short was not the only gun violence the grieving family experienced that month. As we reported later in July, three were injured in a separate shooting at the home of Short's family.
Short was the 53rd homicide victim in the city this year.
Here's the full probable-cause statement issued late yesterday, which outlines the specific counts Bland is facing.
And here's the original police summary.
Incident Assault 1st (Shooting) Location: 5000 block of Goodfellow @ Laura Date/Time: 07/10/13 @ 03:38 Victim #1:9-year old black male Victim #2: black male Victim #3: 22-year old black male Victim #4: 18-year old black male Suspect(s): Unknown The victims responded to the North Patrol Station to report a shooting. Officers observed Victim #1 suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. He was conveyed to a local hospital and is listed in critical/unstable condition. Victim #2 is the father of Victim #1. Investigation revealed that Victim #1 was shot at while he was a passenger in a vehicle with the other victims. There were no other injuries. The investigation is ongoing.
For more of Daily RFT's coverage of the latest metro St. Louis homicides, visit our "Big Bloody" archive.
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