14 year old charged in homicide near Wilson Apartments makes first court appearance

The 14-year-old suspect charged as an adult with murder in the shooting death of another teen boy had his first Recorder’s Court appearance Friday.

Corey Tate is the second teen charged in the homicide of Lamarion Wright, 16, on May 22 near Wilson Apartments in Columbus. Nigel Walker, 16, appeared in court earlier this week on the same charge as Tate.

Wright was found near Belmont Street and Sixth Avenue around 3 p.m. after police were called to the area following reports of gunshots. He was later pronounced dead of a gunshot wound.

Sgt. Donna Baker testified in both Walker’s case on Wednesday and Tate’s case Friday. She said police have no knowledge of a relationship between the three teens.

Baker also testified that Tate reportedly took a handgun from Wright’s possession after he had been shot. An unidentified witness as well as surveillance footage place both Tate and Walker at the scene, she said.

When asked by attorney Ralston Jarrett if Tate fired the fatal shot, Baker did not specify and said that he was in the surveillance footage.

Judge Julius Hunter bound the case over to Superior Court and ordered that Tate have no contact with the victim’s family and to not return to Wilson Apartments.

Outside of the courtroom, Jarrett said that Tate being charged as an adult is not something seen every day.

“This is the beginning process that (Tate) will have to face. It’ll be a long journey for him,” Jarrett said.