An O'Fallon, Mo., man is facing six felony counts including murder in the second degree in last week's shooting in Ferguson that killed 9-year-old Jamyla Bolden and wounded her mother.
Police said Thursday De'Eris Brown, 21, confessed to shooting into Bolden’s home. Brown is being held on a $750,000 cash-only bond. Court records show Brown previously pleaded guilty to felony robbery.
Ferguson Mayor James Knowles said community members at vigils who urged the public to speak to the police helped move the investigation forward.
“That was absolutely an extremely important part of this investigation. The tips, the leads and the cooperation with the community (were) absolutely what made this investigation move so quickly,” Knowles said.
Interim Ferguson Police Chief Andre Anderson said police outreach into the community also played an essential part in the arrest.
“Since the shooting, our Ferguson police officers and the detectives you see here today spent countless hours. They canvassed neighborhoods, they managed crime trends, they managed tips from the community, and they worked with other agencies,” Anderson said Thursday during a news conference announcing Brown’s arrest.
Police said a witness identified Brown as the shooter, and an informant said he admitted to shooting at Bolden's home. But no one is receiving the $8,265 reward for information leading to Brown’s arrest at this time.
“The lead came from investigative efforts,” said Ferguson captain Dan DeCarli when asked whether anyone was eligible to claim the reward.
It’s also not clear at this time what Brown’s motive was in the shooting or whether the shooting was a case of mistaken identity.
DeCarli said it was fair to characterize Jamyla Bolden’s death as accidental, but declined to give further details about why Brown may have shot into her mother’s bedroom last Tuesday evening as the 9 year old was doing her homework, citing the ongoing investigation.
“I don’t want to divulge anything that’s going to jeopardize the investigation,” DeCarli said when asked whether Jamyla’s mother, Kendric Henderson, was the intended target.
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