Second man charged in shooting of pregnant woman
LANSING - A second Lansing man has been charged in a shooting that wounded a pregnant woman.
Charles Steven Simmons, 18, was arraigned Tuesday on a charge of assault with intent to murder in the April 25 shooting in the 3200 block of Reo Road on the city's southwest side.
The victim drove with a man she was in a relationship with to a Sumpter Avenue address the night of the shooting and he got out of the car to meet with Simmons and Kyeole Mitchell, 18, who was charged last week with assault with intent murder and two weapons charges.
Police don't believe the woman, who was shot in the neck and upgraded this week to stable condition, was the intended target, according to court records. She gave birth at a local hospital after the shooting, police said, and the baby is in stable condition.
Police: Drug money dispute may have led to shooting of pregnant woman
Another woman got into the car and they drove a few blocks down and a few minutes later returned to pick up the man the victim was in a relationship with, a Lansing detective testified at a hearing that led to charges against Mitchell and Simmons. After the man got in the backseat, Simmons opened the car door to either assault him or to allow Mitchell to shoot into the vehicle, according to court records.
There was "a brief scuffle" and Mitchell "then began firing shots into the vehicle, striking the victim in the neck," Det. Rich Dietrich testified. He added that police believe the shooting was motivated by "drug trade monies owed."
Jamie White, Simmons' attorney, declined to comment. Mitchell's attorney, Steven Feigelson, didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.
Contact Matt Mencarini at (517) 267-1347 or mmencarini@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter@MattMencarini.
An earlier version of this story was incorrect. The victim was with a man she was in a relationship with.
What's next
Charles Simmons, 18, is charged with assault with intent to murder. A preliminary hearing, which will determine if there's enough evidence for him to stand trial, is set for 9:30 a.m. May 16 in 54A District Court before Judge Frank DeLuca.