Attempted murder suspect freed on bond; his mother is arrested
McKenzie
When the mother of attempted murder suspect De'Andre Lamar Mitchell went to the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton Tuesday afternoon to pick up her son, who was released on bond, she took his spot behind bars after being served with a warrant also charging her with attempted murder involving the same crime.
Yashetta McKenzie, 36, 1440 Tumbling Lane, Atmore, was booked into the detention center on an attempted murder charge. As of press time Wednesday she had not appeared for a bond hearing.
Mitchell, 17, also of 1440 Tumbling Lane, Atmore, was arrested last Tuesday and charged with attempted murder for the shooting of fellow Escambia County High School student Trenton Atchinson, who is also 17-years old.
Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks said the investigation showed McKenzie participated in the act and had followed her son to the site of the shooting. Warrants for McKenzie's arrest were obtained last week.
The shooting apparently followed an altercation earlier last Tuesday and during a bond hearing it was noted Atchinson was not the intended target of the bullet. However, Atchinson suffered serious injuries when the bullet punctured his lung and struck his spine, leaving the teenager paralyzed.
Atmore police officers were originally dispatched to Atmore Community Hospital at 4:08 p.m. on Feb. 27 in reference to a gunshot victim being treated in the emergency room.
Police reported that Atchinson identified Mitchell as the person who shot him. Atchinson was later air lifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola in serious condition. An update on his condition was not available.
Witnesses told officers five or six shots were fired into a group of several people who were outside a house near the 300 block of East 4th Avenue in Atmore.
Police recovered several .9-mm shell casings outside the home where the shooting occurred.
McKenzie brought her son to the Atmore Police Department later Tuesday and he was charged with attempted murder.
Mitchell was released on $100,000 bond Tuesday afternoon. Part of his bond agreement is that Mitchell have no contact with the victim or the alleged victim once released from jail. He is also forbidden to possess a firearm and will be placed under house arrest wearing a GPS monitoring device.
