A St. Louis man was handed a 20-year prison term this past Friday after he pleading guilty to the second-degree murder and armed criminal action charges that stemmed from a fatal shooting incident following a vehicle collision in 2020. According to the Circuit Attorney's Office, Jynell Luss, aged 24, was involved in the shooting of Adam Martin, 20, at an intersection in St. Louis City.
The tragic event unfolded when Martin's car was struck by a stolen vehicle driven by Luss who was accompanied by three passengers. Following the collision, Luss, having an assault-style firearm, instructed Martin and his passenger to follow him to a nearby alley where he shot Martin twice. Luss, previously convicted in 2019 for a series of crimes including firearm theft, tampered with a motor vehicle while resisting arrest.
The prosecution, led by Assistant Circuit Attorneys Kerri Davis and Sydney Beecher, expressed that the sentence imposed on Luss demonstrates a firm stance against gun violence in St. Louis. "This senseless act of violence following a car accident resulted in the tragic loss of life. Today's sentence reflects our office’s commitment to aggressively prosecuting gun violence," said St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore.
Luss's 20-year sentence for second-degree murder will be served concurrently with a 3-year term for armed criminal action. Taken together, these reflect the longevity which this one decision to pull a trigger has imposed onto two young lives; one lost forever, the other to spend two decades behind bars.
