Teens convicted of first-degree murder in ‘senseless’ shooting in July 2023

LANSING — Two Lansing teenagers were convicted Tuesday of murder and other charges for opening fire on two unsuspecting men walking on East Kalamazoo Street last year, killing one of them, in what prosecutors described as “a violent and senseless disaster’.

There was no verbal exchange between the attackers and the victims before the shooting, and there was no indication that the parties even knew each other.

A jury in Ingham County Circuit Court deliberated about 3½ hours over two days before finding Aiden Wilson, 18, and Bradli Stoutmiles, 19, guilty of first-degree murder, assault with intent to murder and nine other charges. The trial before Judge James Jamo lasted about two weeks.

Both men were too young at the time to receive an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder, and it was unclear how prosecutors planned to proceed with sentencing. Stoutmiles will be sentenced on January 22 and Wilson on January 29.

The two defendants initially faced 13 felony charges in connection with the death of Jose Flores in the 700 block of East Kalamazoo Street in July 2023. They and four other people were in a stolen Ford Escape driven by Stoutmiles when Wilson, who was driving was in the front passenger seat, emerged from an open sunroof and fired bullets at Flores and a male companion, according to testimony.

One of the charges was later dropped and the jury acquitted the teens of one of several firearm charges.

The shooting took place one of at least three in Lansing that day, including one in which five people were injured during a rally outside Logan Square Plaza on the south side of the city. Wilson was 16 and Stoutmiles was 18 at the time of the shooting.

Flores, 22, died of a gunshot wound to the chest at a local hospital. His companion was not injured.

In his closing arguments Monday, Ingham County Deputy Chief Clerk Bill Crino said Flores died as a result of “a concerted deadly action” by the two teens in what he called a “senseless” and “random” killing. Flores and his companion did not speak English and there was no interaction between them and the attackers before Wilson started shooting, Crino said.

The teens did it “just because they wanted to,” Crino argued, saying Wilson “shot (Flores) like an animal.”

The teens were arrested later that evening after a high-speed chase that lasted about 25 minutes and ended only after a Lansing police sergeant disabled the Escape and forced it to stop.

The shooting and the images of people in the car were captured in several video clips, although Stoutmiles and Wilson wore masks and their faces were generally not visible. Stoutmiles wore a pink “Rugrats” sweatshirt and Wilson wore a gray sweatshirt. Stoutmiles was the driver when Flores was shot, but testimony said Wilson was driving during the high-speed chase.

The gun used in the shooting was recovered from the car after the chase.

Defense attorneys said there were problems with the identification and essentially argued that prosecutors couldn’t prove their case.

Lyonel Woolley, Stoutmiles’ attorney, said it was clear Stoutmiles was not the shooter and argued there was no evidence he ever owned a gun or aided and abetted Wilson in the shooting.

Wilson’s attorney, Keith Watson, said many questions remained unanswered and asked the jury “just to give an honest and frank assessment of these things.”

Contact Ken Palmer at [email protected]. Follow him on X @KBPalm_lsj.

This article originally appeared in Lansing State Journal: Teens convicted of first-degree murder in ‘senseless’ shooting in July 2023