Kareem McNeil, 22, is alleged to have handed the murder weapon to a 15-year-old Trenton teenager who allegedly shot Devahje Bing on Memorial Day.
TRENTON — The 15-year-old who shot Devahje Bing in the West Ward housing projects Memorial Day was handed the murder weapon just seconds before by Kareem McNeil, 22, prosecutors said today.
McNeil and the 15-year-old, whose name is being withheld because he is a minor, killed Bing, 19, over what was believed to be a $30 debt, Assistant Prosecutor Skylar Weissman said. McNeil and the teen are city residents, as was Bing.
The shooting occurred in the Roger Gardens Apartments complex, and the incident was captured by video surveillance equipment at the nearby Oakland Park Apartments, enabling a Trenton police officer who is familiar with the neighborhood to identify the shooter after watching the video, prosecutors said.
The 15-year-old was arrested and charged just a few days after the killing on May 25. Two witnesses identified McNeil to authorities as the other person on the tape, prosecutors said. Police began a search for McNeil on June 13, and members of the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force apprehended him six days later.
The 15-year-old is charged with murder and possibly with weapons offenses. At the time of the shooting he was wearing a GPS ankle monitoring bracelet as part of a supervised release program. Superior Court Judge Mark Fleming decided to maintain McNeil’s bail at $500,000, Casey DeBlasio, spokeswoman for the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, said. In addition to murder, McNeil faces multiple weapons charges.
Contact Brendan McGrath at (609)989-5731 or at bmcgrath@njtimes.com.
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