DEL.ICIO.USWitness: Fight over fight led to fatal stray bullet
Pregnant mother of three killed while brushing her daughter’s hair
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, November 17, 2008
A witness to the stray-bullet killing of a pregnant mother of three testified Monday that the shooting started between two men who had argued — over whether to break up another argument.
Quishanna Loynes, 29, was sitting in a DeKalb apartment with her three daughters, brushing the hair of one of them for the night, when a bullet came through a window and hit her in the back on Oct. 20.
Eric Lamar Ferrell, 32, and Dequonist Lucas, 24, were charged with murder and remain in the DeKalb County jail.
Bernard Lee, who was Loynes’ fiancee, testified at a preliminary hearing Monday that he was outside the apartment when an argument erupted between two men. The argument did not involve either defendant at first, Lee said.
When Ferrell tried to intervene, Lucas said, “Let ‘em fight. Let ‘em get it off their chest,” according to Lee’s account.
Ferrell exchanged words with him and then went into his apartment, apparently to get a gun. When he returned, the shooting began.
Police said each defendant claimed the other fired first. Georgia law allows a “felony murder” charge against anyone participating in a felony that causes a death.
Lee testified at a preliminary hearing for Lucas in DeKalb County Magistrate Court. Judge Gary LeShaw bound over his case to the grand jury, meaning authorities can keep him in jail.
Ferrell’s preliminary hearing was rescheduled for next week because his attorney was not present.
Loynes, who was about 10 weeks pregnant, left behind daughters aged 11, 9 and 8.
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