Teens indicted in NLV gunfire

A grand jury has indicted two teenagers on attempted murder and other felony charges for the December school bus stop shooting in North Las Vegas that left six people wounded.

The grand jury also charged 20-year-old Erica Adams, the girlfriend of one of the teens, with acting as accessory to the crime for allegedly helping the teens avoid arrest.

The indictment, issued Wednesday, charges 18-year-old Dresden Michael Williams and 17-year-old Franklin Jackson with seven counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon, six counts of battery with a deadly weapon and one count of conspiracy to commit murder.

The three were scheduled to have a preliminary hearing in North Las Vegas on Thursday, but the hearing was canceled.

Authorities convened the grand jury because, with 25 witnesses and three defense attorneys involved, the preliminary hearing could have taken weeks, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Victoria Villegas. Prosecutors listed 90 witnesses in the indictment.

Attorneys for Williams and Jackson said their clients will plead not guilty during an arraignment in District Court scheduled for Wednesday.

"He's been steadfast about that (his innocence)," said defense attorney Kalani Hoo, who is representing Williams.

Joel Mann, representing Jackson, didn't return phone calls from the Review-Journal. He told The Associated Press that Jackson, who was initially charged as a juvenile but is now being treated as an adult, is also maintaining his innocence.

Adams' lawyer, James Ruggeroli, said she is going to plead not guilty. Adams also faces charges of trafficking cocaine.

"She is not a gang member and had nothing to do with the shooting," he said, adding that Adams may seek to be tried separately from Williams and Jackson.

Police have said Williams and Jackson are gang members.

A fourth defendant, 18-year-old Nicco Tatum, is facing similar charges in the shooting and additional attempted murder charges in connection with the Dec. 5 shooting of a 40-year-old Las Vegas woman.

Police said Tatum shot the woman, Tracy Beavers, because she confronted him after he and others taunted her dog.

Tatum, who fled Nevada after the bus stop shooting, was arrested in Denver the next day as he was heading to Chicago on a Greyhound bus.

He was returned to Las Vegas and booked into the Clark County Detention Center last week.

Authorities allege that Williams and Jackson plotted with Tatum to ambush Mojave High School student David Macias, who got into an altercation with Tatum a day before the Dec. 11 shooting at the bus stop, at Walnut and Alexander roads.

Macias was afraid that Tatum would confront him at the bus stop and had friends and family with him at the time of the shooting. Witnesses and police accused Tatum of being one of the gunmen, according to a police report.

Police found 9 mm and .45-caliber shell casings at the scene.

The ages of the victims ranged from 14 to 21. All were treated and released from the hospital.

Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or (702) 380-1039.