Parties Prepare to Take Quadruple Shooting Case to Trial in July

By Mark Lu [former] - May 12, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Attorneys discussed preparations to take the case of a shooting that killed one and injured three to trial in July.

Torey Stockton is indicted on multiple charges including first-degree murder while armed for allegedly opening fire on a group of people outside a convenience store on the 2000 block of 16th Street, SE, on the morning of Jan. 7, 2018. Jasmine Light, 23, was shot in the head and died from her injuries. Three men were shot but survived their injuries, according to court documents. 

Stockton’s co-defendant, Kayla Thompson, is charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly helping Stockton remove or alter evidence. She is on pretrial release and attended the May 11 hearing remotely.

A motion by Thomson’s defense attorney, Kevin McCants, to sever the co-defendants’ cases awaits a ruling. McCants is seeking the severance based on the fact Stockton has many more charges than Thompson and his alleged role in the shooting is more substantial than hers. 

The prosecution accused Stockton, 24, of contacting Thompson several times from DC Jail, telling her to delete incriminating social media content from his account. 

DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo asked for copies of all the evidence presented during the defendant’s 2018 preliminary hearing because it was difficult to rule on the pending motions without making her own independent assessment. The severance motion is the only motion on the table that addresses both Stockton and Thompson and is set to be argued on June 7.

The case is scheduled to go to trial in July. The prosecution said the number of witnesses they expect to call has dropped from 30 down to 20-22. They said they would be ready for jury selection on July 6 as planned. Witness testimony is set to begin the next day. The trial is expected to be completed by the week of July 11.

The target of the shooting was believed to be an associate of Stockton’s who had borrowed his gold Glock handgun and never returned it, according to court documents. Stockton allegedly posted several times on Instagram, bragging about his involvement in the shooting and threatening to continue shooting people until he got his gun back. 

According to the prosecution, social media posts depicted the defendant waiving an automatic black handgun with an extended clip that the prosecution said had a very distinct look, specific caliber requirements and a unique fire type. Judge Demeo specifically requested records and photographs related to the murder weapon and asked how the gun could be identified simply from social media images and video. The prosecution said that investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were able to use videos and audio posted to Instagram and a number of 9mm bullet casings recovered by crime scene techs on the night of the incident.

Stockton will remain detained at DC Jail as he awaits his motion hearing.