2 Convicted In Waterford Roller Rink Shooting
PONTIAC (WWJ/AP) - Two men charged in a December shooting that wounded at least five at a roller skating rink in Waterford Township have been convicted.
Jury verdicts were announced Tuesday for 21-year-old Tre-Andis Jamison and 18-year-old Cheyenne Ingram. Both men were charged with six counts of assault with intent to murder, six felony firearms charges, one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree, premeditated murder and one count of carrying a concealed weapon.
Jamison was convicted on all counts, while Ingram was acquitted on the firearm counts and convicted on the other charges. They face up to life in prison when sentenced.
Ingram's lawyer Jonathan Jones argued his client was never found with a weapon. Jamison's attorney Arnold Weiner told jurors there was no evidence linking his client to the shooting at Rolladium Skating Center.
A third suspect charged in the case, 18-year-old Robert Lee German, has yet to be found.
The charges stem from a Dec. 23 shooting at the roller rink, located on Highland Rd. near Pontiac Lake Rd. in Waterford Township, about 25 miles northwest of Detroit.
A private holiday party billed as an 18 and up "Roll Up" was coming to a close around 1:45 a.m. when the three men entered the building and fired handguns from the snack bar area out onto the skating floor area. Nearly 300 people were inside the rink.
In all, five party-goers were stuck: a 20-year-old White Lake woman, a 20-year old Pontiac man and woman, a 21-year-old Pontiac man and a 23-year-old Pontiac woman. All five victims recovered from their injuries.
Investigators say the shooting stemmed from two rival gangs out of Pontiac, one known as the "Goon Squad," and the other as "1st Enfantry." One of the victims shot was an intended target and rival to the shooters, and was previously shot by rivals in a similar incident at a nightclub in Pontiac back in December 2010.
Police say people are reluctant to cooperate with the investigation and come forward with information because of the gang affiliations and history of violence. Ingram was arrested nearly a month after the shooting while Jamison was apprehended in Georgia in April.
Investigators are still searching for German. He is considered armed and dangerous. Do not approach or attempt to apprehend him. If you have any information on his whereabouts, contact the Waterford Police Department at 248-618-7550 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
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