Thunderstorms - some may contain locally heavy rain, especially this evening. A few storms may be severe. Low 64F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..
Tonight
Thunderstorms - some may contain locally heavy rain, especially this evening. A few storms may be severe. Low 64F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
An open cash register is seen inside the Tobacco & Pipe smoke shop, 2809 Seventh Ave., in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, shown on Jan. 31, 2024. A 19-year-old man, an employee of the store, was fatally shot inside the store on Jan. 30.
Three religious candles and a stuffed teddy bear are shown beside the front door of the Tobacco & Pipe smoke shop, 2809 Seventh Ave., ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, shown on Jan. 31, 2024. A 19-year-old man, an employee of the store, was fatally shot inside the store on Jan. 30.
The Tobacco & Pipe smoke shop, 2809 Seventh Ave., in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, seen here on Jan. 31, 2024, was the scene of a fatal shooting the previous day.
CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE | Gazette-Mail
A 19-year-old man was shot and killed by a 14-year-old boy Tuesday night in North ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, police said. This is the city’s second homicide of 2024.
According to a news release from the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Police Department, the victim was Caden Martin, 19, of Dunbar. Martin was an employee at the Tobacco & Pipe smoke shop at 2809 Seventh Ave.
‘He was too young’
Facebook comments described Martin as nice and helpful, with big plans for his future.
Brenton Lane met Martin eight or nine months ago when they worked together at a warehouse for the smoke shop. “He was hilarious,†said Lane, of Elkview, in a Facebook message Wednesday.
“The things [Martin] would say would have everyone in this warehouse [laughing]. Everyone here loved his presence.â€
Martin was there to help Lane with anything, even if all he could offer was a conversation. He brought joy to the workplace, Lane said.
“Today everyone is really devastated at work thinking about him,†he wrote. “He was way too young and smart to have this happen to him. He had a lot of plans in life that [were] going to change his life before it was taken.â€
Jacob Mullins, a regular customer at the store, said Martin started working there around two months ago. He saw Martin at the store around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
“He seemed cool. [Every time] I came in, he even knew what I needed before I even got to the counter,†Mullins wrote on Facebook. An impromptu memorial was set up at the store Wednesday morning with a few unlit candles and a teddy bear. A white Mitsubishi sat in the parking lot. Lane said Martin drove the car.
Three religious candles and a stuffed teddy bear are shown beside the front door of the Tobacco & Pipe smoke shop, 2809 Seventh Ave., ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, shown on Jan. 31, 2024. A 19-year-old man, an employee of the store, was fatally shot inside the store on Jan. 30.
CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE | Gazette-Mail
Passerby found MartinÌý
At a news conference next to the smoke shop Wednesday afternoon, interim police chief Scott Dempsey said a passerby found Martin dead and flagged down passing Kanawha County sheriff’s deputies around 8:40 p.m. Dempsey praised the work of detectives who were able to develop a suspect quickly.
An open cash register is seen inside the Tobacco & Pipe smoke shop, 2809 Seventh Ave., in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, shown on Jan. 31, 2024. A 19-year-old man, an employee of the store, was fatally shot inside the store on Jan. 30.
CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE | Gazette-Mail
Police said the suspect entered the store, brandished a firearm and demanded money and merchandise. The victim complied with the suspect’s demands and wasn’t aggressive, according to a news release.
As the suspect left the store, police said, he fired multiple rounds at Martin, whose body was found behind the counter. Dempsey said he didn’t think anyone else was in the shop when the shooting occurred.
First juvenile charged with murder in city since 2009
The suspect has been charged with first-degree murder and first-degree robbery. Dempsey said other charges could be forthcoming but could not give details on whether other people were involved in the shooting.
He also couldn’t say what type of firearm was used in the homicide or where the suspect obtained it.
This is the first time a juvenile has been charged with murder in the city since 2009, Dempsey said. While there has been a nationwide rise in juvenile crime, ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä has not seen this trend, he said.
Dempsey pointed out that there are several factors that could lead to juvenile crime, including peers, home life and social media.
“In this situation, we don’t know quite yet what that cause was, but we are definitely looking into that to see if we can help as a police department to see where we can tackle those problems,†he said.
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact the Criminal Investigation Division, at 304-348-6480, or Metro Communications, at 304-348-8111.
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