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Witnesses describe shooting

By John Stevenson : The Herald-Sun, Jan 23, 2007 : 11:26 pm ET

DURHAM -- The sister of a teenage murder victim testified Tuesday that suspect Lamar Bass threatened her just before her brother was shot, and another relative told jurors he saw Bass pull the trigger.

Bass, 17 at the time of the incident in a Northgate Mall parking lot during December 2005, is being tried on a charge of first-degree murder in the slaying of 16-year-old Lazarren Tyqwan McLean. He also faces charges of going armed to the terror of the public and attempting to murder a second victim who was injured but survived.

Bass faces an automatic penalty of life in prison without parole if convicted of the homicide charge.

Shenalda McLean, Lazarren's sister, testified Tuesday that she and her brothers, along with others, had just gotten off a bus at Northgate Mall when the incident began.

"We took like six steps from the bus," she said.

Suddenly, Bass threatened to "snatch" her, Shenalda McLean added.

She said her brother told Bass authoritatively that no snatching was going to occur, and Bass replied that he was "just playing." But Lazarren McLean continued to question Bass about the remark, according to his sister.

Shenalda McLean testified that she advised her brother to turn around and walk away, and shots rang out when he complied.

"I didn't see who shot because my back was turned," the sister added. "The gunshots was real loud. You could feel the sound going through your body."

David Barnhill, the dead youth's brother, testified that he did see who the gunman was.

"He was coming from behind me, walking up and shooting," Barnhill said of Bass.

However, Barnhill indicated that it may have someone other than Bass who "disrespected" his sister before gunfire erupted.

"Him and my brother was like arguing face to face," said Barnhill. "Then we turned around and started walking. That's when the shots were fired. Pow, pow, pow, pow, pow ... I seen my brother laying on the floor. His eyes was rolling. I said, 'I love you. I love you, brother.' "

Barnhill said he didn't think McLean comprehended the words.

There also was testimony Tuesday from Quinzell Nahdee Williamson, who was wounded by gunfire but did not identify Bass as the shooter.

Williamson said he still has a bullet in his neck because physicians thought complications might occur if they attempted to remove it surgically.

The trial continues today.

Defense lawyer Woody Vann told jurors in an opening statement Monday that the case was one of mistaken identity, and that Bass was not the shooter.

http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-812171.cfm

* Murders, witnesses and credibilty in the Durham courtroom- another case study.