Surviving Victim of Drive-By Shooting Testifies in Court

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Five years after the shooting, a surviving victim testified in front of the jury in a six-co-defendant homicide trial.

Gregory Taylor, 26, Quentin Michals, 25, Qujuan Thomas, 24, Darrise Jeffers, 23, Isaiah Murchison, 22, and Marquell Cobbs, 21, are six of 10 defendants charged with first-degree murder, criminal street gang affiliation, conspiracy, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with intent to kill, and other charges regarding a fatal drive-by shooting that resulted in the death of 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson. The shooting happened on the 300 block of 53rd Street NE on July 16, 2018.

On April 4, the witness said he suffered from a gunshot wound to the leg, and severe injuries to the lower half of his face, resulting in the loss of his bottom row of teeth. He said he had to undergo a tracheotomy in order to breathe, and couldn’t use his jaw correctly until after multiple reconstructive surgeries.

According to his testimony, the witness went to the neighborhood where Wilson was shot that night to hang out with friends and play cards. His back initially faced toward the parking lot, where the assailants pulled up.

The witness testified that he could see the people he was with widen their eyes in fear. He then turned to look, saw four men exit the vehicle, then woke up on the ground with a white sheet over him.

“I don’t want to keep living this, I don’t even wanna be here,” he said while being questioned by the prosecution.

At the time, the witness was personally unaware of any conflicts between Clay Terrace and Wellington Park, testifying that he had no reason to believe that he or anyone he was with would be attacked that day.

Another resident of the neighborhood, who was home the evening of the shooting, testified that she knew Wilson and that they were neighbors. Her bedroom window faced toward where the assailants parked their car.

After hearing shots fired, the witness said she looked out her window and saw four men run away from the vehicle, continually shooting. She described the assailants as wearing full hooded facemasks as well as gloves, and could not see their faces.

All parties are scheduled to reconvene and continue trial on April 5.

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