DRUG DISPUTE SPARKED SHOTS THAT KILLED BOY

The shooting death of a 9-year-old boy last month in Orange Mound was
the unintended result of a dispute over drugs, according to testimony
Thursday from the intended victim.

The first-degree murder case against Brian Keith Young, 24, was
advanced to the grand jury after a 30-minute probable cause hearing
during which the defendant stood silent and stared at the floor.

"Somebody yelled out my name two times, and I had turned around and I
seen Mr. Young shooting," said Lakeith Hampton,, who knew Young as "B.
Y." "He aimed at me, pulled the trigger, and fire came out of the gun.
No one else was shooting but B. Y. It was about some drugs."

Marrqutte Mason was shot to death about 6 p.m. May 26 across the
street from Melrose High School. He is one of four young Memphis
children caught in the line of fire recently during violent disputes
between adults.

Three of the child victims died, and police and community leaders have
renewed efforts to crack down on the kind of gun violence that killed
them.

Thursday's hearing revealed for the first time a common factor - drug
disputes - between Marrqutte's killing and the shooting death of
3-year-old Jessica Borner last week in a neighborhood north of
Highland Heights.

The hearing featured testimony from Hampton, described by police as a
known gang member. Hampton is nicknamed "6-9" because of his height.
Young Mason was known as "Little Man."

With Marrqutte's mother and stepfather watching, Hampton said drugs
were at the center of the dispute that resulted in the death of their
child.

Hampton explained that someone had "fronted" him some cocaine. That
means he was given the cocaine with the expectation that he would sell
it and use the proceeds to pay for it, keeping any profit. He said he
had been waiting to learn whether he was to pay Young or another man.

Hampton testified that he was crossing the street near Deadrick and
Bradley with two other men when Young came after them, firing a gun.

Hampton said he and his friends dove for cover behind some parked
vehicles.

He said Young fired about 10 shots before his 9mm pistol seemed to
jam. He said Young then got in his car and fired another shot into
Hampton's empty car before leaving.

Hampton said he and his friends never saw young Marrqutte, who police
said was shot in the neck as he stood on the sidewalk nearby. The boy
ran about 40 yards before collapsing in the living room of a house at
1019 Bradley.

When he noticed a trail of blood, Hampton said he and his two friends
lifted their shirts to be sure they had not been shot.

Hampton has a drug possession case pending in Criminal Court. In 1998,
he and two other men were charged with attempted second-degree murder
for shooting at a man identified as Anton Hayes. Hampton pleaded
guilty a year later to a reduced charge of aggravated assault; he
received a three-year suspended sentence and was placed on probation.

Young has a lengthy police record dating to 1995, including charges of
theft and drug possession.

Defense attorney Larry Sargent said after the hearing that Young
contends he fired in self-defense and that the bullet that killed
Marrqutte did not come from his gun.