Jose Armenta, 17, and Jamal Morgan, 18, face felony charges in connection with a party shooting in Tucson that injured two people. KVOA reports that both are held on $50,000 bond. Armenta is charged with aggravated assault causing serious physical injury, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, carrying a firearm as a minor, and discharging a firearm in city limits. Morgan faces aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault causing serious injury, discharging a firearm in city limits, and carrying a firearm as a minor, according to KVOA.
The defendants are being prosecuted as adults. An explanation of Arizona law by Tamou Law Group says prosecutors must file adult cases against 15-, 16- or 17-year-olds accused of certain listed serious offenses, including qualifying aggravated assaults. KVOA’s account of court documents says both defendants were under 18 when they allegedly possessed and fired the gun.
The alleged shooting occurred on Oct. 11, after an argument among party attendees moved onto a street east of the home. KVOA, citing court documents, reported that officers found two people with gunshot wounds and that both were taken to a hospital.
Court documents described by KVOA allege that Armenta and Morgan took an AR-15 from the trunk of a parked car and fired toward the two victims. Witnesses identified the pair as the shooters, KVOA reported. The two allegedly left the area, and the rifle was later passed to another person, who took it to an unknown location.
A separate Pima County case involved gunfire at a house party: KOLD 13 News reported that a 17-year-old was accidentally shot on Friday, June 12, and the alleged host faced charges. KOLD reported that the victim’s injuries were not life-threatening, distinguishing that case from the injuries reported in the October shooting.
