By writer to thedailynews.cc
STANTON — An alleged altercation over shopping for medication resulted in two males “blindly” spraying gunfire at a fleeing car and two teenage ladies from Greenville being shot — one in every of whom has now been decided to be mind useless — within the early morning hours of Wednesday close to Stanton.
Nicholas Bauer
Kevin Bartz
Kevin Bartz, 23, of Cedar Springs and Nicholas Bauer, 17, of Stanton have been each arraigned Thursday afternoon in Montcalm County District Courtroom. They’re every charged with two counts of assault with intent to commit homicide (a felony with a doable lifetime jail sentence) and two counts of felony firearms — and a homicide cost is probably going forthcoming together with the doable arrest of further suspects, in keeping with Montcalm County Prosecutor Andrea Krause.
Decide Adam Eggleston set bond at $500,000 for every man per Krause’s request. The 2 males are presently being assisted by the Montcalm County Public Defender Workplace.
“The costs on this file are of a most critical nature,” Eggleston famous. “The costs and the circumstances alleged listed below are very regarding, essentially the most regarding I believe we’ve come throughout on this court docket. The seriousness of those expenses can’t be overstated.”
In response to Michigan State Police Lakeview Submit Det. Brian Siemen, a trooper was dispatched to the intersection of Ann and Janet streets (which is close to the intersection of M-66 and Sidney Street) in Evergreen Township round 1:50 a.m. Wednesday for a report of gunfire. Whereas the trooper was on his means, an unknown male referred to as 911 to report a feminine mendacity in a ditch.
The trooper discovered the girl, recognized as Destini Cunliffe, 18, of Greenville mendacity within the ditch and bleeding from the again of her head, in keeping with Siemen.
Kevin Bartz, 23, of Cedar Springs was arraigned Thursday afternoon in Montcalm County District Courtroom. He’s charged with two counts of assault with intent to commit homicide (a felony with a doable lifetime jail sentence) and two counts of felony firearms — and a homicide cost is probably going forthcoming together with the doable arrest of further suspects, in keeping with Montcalm County Prosecutor Andrea Krause. — DN Photograph | Elisabeth Waldon
“It was decided Destini Cunliffe had a gunshot wound to the again of her head,” Siemen mentioned. “She is presently on life assist for organ donation solely as she’s been decided to be mind useless.”
After 2 a.m. that very same morning, police have been dispatched to Sparrow Carson Hospital ER for one more feminine with a gunshot wound — recognized as a 15-year-old feminine from Greenville (the Each day Information is withholding her title as she is a minor), in keeping with Siemen, who mentioned the woman was not cooperative with police. He mentioned her wound shouldn’t be thought-about life-threatening.
Siemen mentioned investigation revealed Cunliffe and the opposite woman rode in a truck with probably three different topics to buy medication from somebody named “Charlie” at a residence in Evergreen Township. Whereas Cunliffe and the opposite woman waited within the truck, there was an obvious altercation on the residence and the three different topics got here working out and jumped again into the truck.
“They reported they have been shot at whereas they have been contained in the car,” Siemen mentioned. “This was when (the 15-year-old) and Destini Cunliffe have been shot. Throughout the capturing, the car started to roll ahead. Investigators consider the doorways weren’t secured. The car rolled ahead uncontrolled and Destini Cunliffe fell out of the door and into the ditch the place she was later situated by the trooper.”
Nicholas Bauer, 17, of Stanton was arraigned Thursday afternoon in Montcalm County District Courtroom. He’s charged with two counts of assault with intent to commit homicide (a felony with a doable lifetime jail sentence) and two counts of felony firearms — and a homicide cost is probably going forthcoming together with the doable arrest of further suspects, in keeping with Montcalm County Prosecutor Andrea Krause. — DN Photograph | Elisabeth Waldon
Siemen mentioned gunshot holes have been discovered all around the space, together with in a neighboring dwelling and in autos. He mentioned police interviewed Bauer, who allegedly admitted to capturing a 9 mm pistol on the truck whereas it was leaving in retaliation, Bauer mentioned, for these individuals stealing cash from him.
Siemen mentioned police additionally interviewed Bartz who allegedly admitted to utilizing an AR-15 rifle to fireplace one shot from greater than 100 yards away on the truck because it was driving away.
The truck was later discovered deserted and containing a number of gunshot holes in Grand Rapids, in keeping with Siemen.
Throughout their separate court docket arraignments, Bartz appeared calm and critical, whereas Bauer appeared upset, wiping his eyes and blowing his nostril a number of occasions whereas showing through video from inside the Montcalm County Jail.
“You’ve by no means been in hassle earlier than?” the jail officer requested Bauer whereas reviewing his obvious lack of a felony document.
“Not like this,” an emotional Bauer responded. “That is tried homicide.”
Montcalm County District Courtroom Decide Adam Eggleston set bond at $500,000 for Bauer and Bartz per Prosecutor Andrea Krause’s request. The boys are presently being assisted by Public Defender Matthew Nave. — DN Photograph | Elisabeth Waldon
Krause mentioned Bauer is unemployed and sells marijuana for a residing.
“He primarily sells marijuana to pay his lease,” she mentioned. “A variety of completely different medication have been discovered at his residence, together with quite a few firearms. And he’s 17, so he’s not allowed to interact in these sorts of actions, regardless of the legality of sure marijuana transactions.
“These are very critical expenses,” she added of Bauer. “The defendant just about fired at a car that was fleeing the scene. He was under no circumstances at risk himself. He fired considerably blindly. I anticipated early subsequent week the costs can be elevated (to homicide) given the severity of the harm to one of many victims (Cunliffe). I anticipate that can occur pretty quickly, given her situation.”
Krause mentioned Bartz works on the Rockford relaxation cease on the U.S. 131 Expressway. She mentioned he has solely recognized Bauer about two days and he had solely been staying with Bauer about that lengthy when the capturing occurred.
“He was there with a rifle able to again up his co-defendant,” Krause mentioned of Bartz. “There’s a number of components right here that pose a risk to the group. A number of pictures have been fired by the defendants, and never simply at a brief distance. There are allegations that pictures have been fired so far as 100 yards away. Gunshot holes have been present in home about 75 yards away.”
— to thedailynews.cc
