Leadwood teen charged in shooting another with shotgun

By TERESA RESSEL
Daily Journal Staff Writer

Thursday, February 7, 2008 11:27 AM CST

FARMINGTON — The teenager accused of shooting another young man had his first day in court Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Lonnie Charles Abney Jr., 17, of Leadwood, was formally arraigned on charges of second-degree assault and armed criminal action.

Abney, a student at West County High School and UniTec Career Center, applied for a public defender and the case was passed to 1:30 Feb. 28 for a counsel status hearing. His bond has been set at $70,000 cash-only.

The victim was shot in the upper chest with a 20-gauge shotgun. He is still in a St. Louis area hospital. Doctors are reportedly working to save his arm.

West County High School Principal Eric Moyer said anytime they have an issue at school, counseling services are made available to students to help them deal with their emotions and understand the issues. He said there are students who are affected by the student’s arrest and are confused by it.

According to court records, Abney told police that the gun slipped from his hand and fell to the floor, causing it to fire at the victim. Abney initially said the gun was not his and he was not familiar with it, but later told police that he owned the gun before he sold it to his brother.

The victim told police that Abney was pointing the gun at him in a threatening manner at the time it was fired. He said Abney had attempted to scare him several times with either a gun or a running chainsaw.

Teresa Ressel is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 179 or at tressel@dailyjournalonline.com.

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