Jul 1, 2016 4 min read

Two 18-year-old Washington men were ordered Friday to stand trial on charges including homicide in the May 4 shooting in the city that killed a 19-year-old Washington woman and injured her 21-year-old friend.

Tavian Hooper and Jamaal Greene were ordered held for court by District Judge Robert Redlinger following a preliminary hearing, despite arguments by their defense attorneys the charges should be dismissed because of a lack of evidence in the shooting that killed Alexis Barnett and injured Jasmine Young.

Hooper is charged with homicide, conspiracy, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and former convict to possess a firearm. Greene is charged with homicide and conspiracy.

Edwin “Cheeno” Rivera testified he saw Hooper turn and look back at him as Hooper ran from the area where Barnett and Young were shot. The 24-year-old said he was with the two women and several other friends at Young’s Maple Terrace home. He said they were just “hanging out” and Young made dinner.

Rivera said they left Young’s home and were walking on Maple Avenue on their way to another friend’s home. At least one of his companions stopped and leaned into a car driven by Greene. Hooper was a front-seat passenger, he said.

“I walked across the street,” Rivera testified. “Tavian said ‘Yo,’ but I didn’t answer.”

The car pulled out, made a U-turn and sped off. Rivera said Hooper pointed his hand at him like it was a gun and said “Boom, boom.” The car returned, coming down Bruce Street at a high speed with no headlights on before leaving the area. Rivera said he hid behind a pickup truck. Under cross-examination by Chief Public Defender Glenn Alterio, who represented Greene, Rivera said he thought “something bad was going to happen.”

He, Barnett and Young decided to walk back to Young’s house.

“We were like joking,” Rivera said. “Then I heard the first gunshot and Jasmine said she had been hit.”

Rivera then heard a second shot and heard Barnett say she was hit before she collapsed to the ground. Under cross-examination by defense attorney Ryan Tutera, who represented Hooper, Rivera said he saw Hooper, who turned and looked at him as he ran away. However, he did not testify he saw Hooper firing a weapon.

Both women were taken to Washington Hospital. Barnett was pronounced dead in the emergency room. Washington County Coroner Tim Warco testified the bullet entered through her back and perforated her heart and lung.

City police Lt. Daniel Stanek, who filed the charges against the pair, said Greene admitted to driving the car. He said Rivera spoke with him the night of the shooting and continues to be cooperative.

Stanek said a resident of the 1100 block of Bruce, where the shooting happened, came forward with surveillance that showed the victims as they were shot and collapsing on the sidewalk. The sound of gunshots also is heard on the surveillance video. He said the shooting happened at 9:39 p.m. About 15 minutes earlier, the group of friends are shown on surveillance walking through Maple Terrace and turning onto Maple Avenue.

Both Alterio and Tutera argued the cases against their respective clients should be dismissed.

Alterio said it appears the shooter was Hooper. He also said there was no testimony Greene conspired with Hooper, nor was there any indication his client was at the scene of the shooting.

Tutera argued the shooting could have been done by someone else. He also said there was no gun recovered, nor did Rivera get a good look at the person running from the area.

“There is a lack of evidence to suggest my client did the shooting,” Tutera said. “It is a stretch to hold him over a (hand) gesture.”

First Assistant District Attorney Dennis Paluso asked Redlinger to look at the totality of the circumstantial evidence. Paluso said Hooper was seen running from the scene.

After the hearing, Paluso said the prosecution was able to establish its case. He said Rivera spoke honestly.

Paluso declined to comment when asked if there would be additional arrests.

Redlinger granted a 15-minute recess before the start of the hearing to allow Alterio and Tutera to review the affidavit of probable cause with their clients. The affidavit and criminal complaint outlining the charges had been ordered sealed last month by Judge Michael Lucas at the request of the prosecution because of safety concerns for potential witnesses. The defendants previously had been given a copy of their respective criminal complaints, notifying them of the charges they faced.

Both men remain in Washington County jail, where they are being held without bond.