Murder Trial Begins for Defendant Accused of 2018 Drive-By Shooting

By Isabelle Chiu [former] - July 10, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

The trial of a man who allegedly killed one and injured three people began on July 7 with the prosecution saying the defendant was out for revenge.

Torey Stockton, 24, is charged with first-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in a drive-by shooting that killed 23-year-old Jasmine Light and injured three other people on Jan. 17, 2018, on the 1500 block of U Street, SE. 

In addition to first-degree murder, Stockton is also charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of obstruction of justice. His co-defendant, Kayla Thompson, is also charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly helping Stockton remove evidence. 

During opening statements, the prosecution alleged that at the time of the shooting, Stockton was in the passenger seat of a silver sedan and shot into a group of people standing outside a convenience store where his associate was known to frequent. 

“On Jan. 17, 2018, this defendant was out for revenge,” one of two prosecutors told the jurors. “He was there to send a message.”

The prosecution alleged that, after learning he was the only suspect for Light’s death, Stockton called his then-girlfriend, Thompson, from the DC Jail and told her to erase any incriminating photos and messages from his Facebook and Instagram accounts. 

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) found Instagram videos of Stockton waving a large handgun, threatening to keep shooting people until his gun was returned. Additional videos show the defendant bragging about this involvement in the shooting. 

“After the defendant shot Jasmine Light, he was proud about it. He bragged about it.” said the prosecution, referring to Instagram posts on Stockton’s account. 

Justin Okezie, one of Stockton’s defense attorneys, responded to the prosecution’s statement by telling the jurors to look at the facts of case, not just the words from social media posts.

“People in this generation go onto social media to resolve disputes. They say things they should never say,” Okezie said. “But that doesn’t mean they go commit crimes.” 

Okezie then told the jurors that Stockton had an alibi and how Stockton’s family member and phone GPS data placed the defendant in Virginia at the time of the shooting. 

After both parties completed their opening statements, the prosecution called three witnesses to the stand, beginning with the victim’s sister. 

The sister appeared emotional as she described her relationship with her sister, which grew closer after their mother’s death more than 10-years ago. “That was my little sister,” she said. “She was my backbone.”

The first MPD officer who arrived at the crime scene recalled hearing gunshots and seeing an individual, Light, lying on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound on her head. The officer said he initially assumed Light was dead due to the amount of blood on the sidewalk but immediately called for an ambulance after hearing her take a breath. 

After calling for the ambulance, the officer secured the scene and interviewed two witnesses who had also been shot. During cross-examination, the officer told Okezie none of the witnesses he interviewed were able to identify the shooter. 

The lead technician, a forensic crime scene scientist for the Department of Forensic Science (DFS), who was responsible for collecting, documenting, and processing the evidence found at the scene, testified he collected 15 cartridge casings, six casing fragments, and a projectile found inside the convenience store for processing.

According to court documents, the target of the shooting was believed to be an associate of Stockton who had borrowed his “prized possession,” a gold Glock handgun.

DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo scheduled the trial to resume on July 11.