A third teen has been arrested in connection with the shooting at Haywood Mall, on the same day that new charges were filed against another teen in the case. Greenville police announced Monday, June 30, that a 16-year-old was taken into custody on June 26 in connection with the shooting that happened on June 13.Police say a juvenile pickup order was obtained against him and he was placed into the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice.Meanwhile, Kalief Walker, 18, who had already been charged in the mall shooting, is now charged with attempted murder in the case. He and another minor, are also facing charges for a shooting incident on March 27.According to arrest warrants obtained through the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, on March 27 the two were involved in a brief altercation outside a home on Dobey Drive. Following the altercation, authorities said the two chased someone into the home and fired multiple times with intent to kill. The warrants list Walker's birthday as April 12, meaning he was under the age of 18 at the time. Walker is facing four new charges, according to arrest warrants obtained by the Greenville County Sheriff's Office: Attempted murder — up to 30 years Discharging a firearm into a dwelling — up to 10 yearsUnlawful possession of a pistol — up to five yearsPossession of a weapon during a violent crime — mandatory five-year sentenceFR Law Attorney Cedric James said the first three penalties create broader statutes for the judge to consider based on the severity of the case. The fourth charge carries a required sentence to serve if convicted."With these other charges, not having those mandatory minimums. It gives the judge a lot of discretion. This may be a case where it might be 10, it might be 15, it might be five," FR Law attorney Cedric James said. "There's no way around it. There's no discretion here. If Mr. Walker is convicted or pleads guilty to that charge, he is going to have to be sentenced to five years on that."Before his second arrest, Walker's mother said the 18-year-old was bonded out on separate charges that connected him to a shooting at Haywood Mall on June 13. Here is the set of charges he is facing:Contributing to the delinquency of a minorBreach of peace, aggravated natureUnlawful possession of a pistolWalker's younger brother, 17-year-old Kamari Walker, was arrested first after the mall shooting and charged as an adult. Previously, the Greenville Police Department only publicized an assault and battery, high and aggravated charge because of his age. James said this is typical protocol for the process of moving a juvenile through the court system until it is finalized, they will be tried as an adult.All charges are now listed publicly on the Greenville County Public Index:Assault and battery, high and aggravatedUnlawful possession of a pistolPossession of a weapon during a violent crimeBreach of peace, aggravated nature"It's built in that when a juvenile is charged with something to protect, really their identity and to protect their, because they are juvenile, they can't have the same rights and responsibilities as an adult," James said.Whether both brothers are tried as co-defendants or independently in the Haywood Mall shooting will be determined by the solicitor's office."They both kind of stemmed from the same altercation, the same thing, the same occurrence at Haywood Mall. The families of defense attorneys, that's something that they would talk about, kind of weigh the pros and cons of — but as far as whether they'll be tried together, that's normally something that's going to be determined by the solicitor. They'll present that to a judge, and the judge will make a determination," James said.Walker's mother told WYFF News 4 her oldest son was on house arrest at the time of the shooting and said this is separate from the incident on March 27."Both of these young men are innocent until proven guilty. And it doesn't necessarily mean that they're going after him on this case because of the other cases, that they're trying to stack the cards against him," James said. "It very well may have just been in their investigation, when speaking with Mr. Walker, he may have been able to speak to him regarding their ongoing investigation and determine: Is he a suspect, are we going to rule them out or are we going to charge him?"Walker's mother said her oldest son has a court date set for Aug. 21.
Caitlin Ashbaugh is a MMJ/Reporter at various news outlets including WTOC-TV and WWNY TV. She covers a diverse range of topics including government and politics, health and wellness, and crime and justice, with a particular interest in juvenile justice and space travel. Caitlin's work has been featured in numerous platforms such as WACH FOX 57, WPDE TV 15, and WYFF 4.
