Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: 15-year-old's fatal bullet struck drummer by mistake, police Date: Sat, 31 Oct 92 14:00:15 EST Message-ID: \SE A;METROPOLITAN \HD 15-year-old's fatal bullet struck drummer by mistake, police say \BY Catherine Toups \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES A 15-year-old charged with killing the drummer of a popular go-go band last month probably intended to kill a friend of the drummer's with whom he had argued about 20 minutes earlier, police said yesterday in D.C. Superior Court. The boy, a seventh-grader, was arrested early Thursday for the Sept. 29 shooting of 24-year-old Willie "Heavy One" Gaston at the Barry Farms public housing complex. Judge Gregory E. Mize ordered the youth held on a charge of first-degree murder. The youth has run away from juvenile detention facilities at least twice. He has been convicted as a juvenile for possessing cocaine and has been arrested but not convicted for having an unregistered firearm. Mr. Gaston, an original member of the Junkyard Band, died of a single gunshot wound in the back. He was shot at 10:40 p.m. in the 1200 block of Eaton Road SE. Police said a witness saw the 15-year-old and several others approach Mr. Gaston, who was walking with a friend nicknamed "Boo Boo." The witness said Mr. Gaston looked at the 15-year-old and started to run, but the youth pointed a handgun at the drummer's back. Another witness told police about an argument about 20 minutes earlier between Boo Boo and the 15-year-old. Boo Boo "placed a handgun to the head of [the 15-year-old], who left the area angry and upset" and was overheard saying he would be back, Metropolitan Police Detective Donald Bell said. Detective Bell said Boo Boo was "very uncooperative" and reported "not seeing very much at all." According to earlier police accounts, Mr. Gaston was walking with a 19-year-old Southeast man and another person. The 19-year-old was hit but survived. Detective Bell did not say yesterday if anyone else was shot in the incident. A reporter for The Washington Times attended the hearing on the condition that she not identify any juvenile suspects or their relatives. Juvenile criminal procedures are closed to the public. The youth's attorney argued unsuccessfully that the fatal shooting might have been an act of self-defense. The judge also denied the lawyer's request that the youth, who has tested positive for cocaine, opiates or marijuana nine times in the past three years, be placed in his mother's custody. Mr. Gaston lived in the 300 block of 54th Street NE, but he often went to the Barry Farms complex, where he used to live, to visit a girlfriend or talk with old friends, several men on Eaton Road said. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM