ST. LOUIS — A 14-year-old boy was charged as an adult after police said he shot and killed a mother in front of her daughter in January of 2023.
Brian Wellington was certified as an adult and charged with first-degree murder and multiple other charges in connection with the death of 38-year-old Kay Johnson. He was taken into custody Wednesday and is being held without bond.
Editor's note: The above video was published on Jan. 26, 2023.
Another teenage suspect, Dehaun Harris, is also facing first-degree murder charges in connection with the deadly carjacking.
According to a probable cause statement, Johnson was pulling her car into the garage at her home on Compton Avenue in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood when Wellington, Harris and one other person pulled up behind her in a stolen Nissan sedan. The statement said Harris pulled out a gun and ran up to the passenger side while Wellington, who was also armed, ran up to the driver's side window.
Harris and Wellington ordered Johnson out of the car, but when she took too long, Harris shot her in the face, according to the probable cause statement. Harris died at the scene of the shooting.
Johnson's 14-year-old daughter was in the car with her when she died.
At the time of Johnson's death, St. Louis police said they believed she was one of several victims in a string of attempted or confirmed carjackings.
Wellington, who was 13 at the time of the deadly carjacking, was one of multiple teenagers arrested in connection with the string of carjackings.
On Tuesday, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office issued charges of first-degree murder, first-degree attempted robbery and two counts of armed criminal action against Wellington.
Harris was initially charged with second-degree murder in December of 2023, but the charge was upgraded to first-degree murder about a month later. He is also charged with first-degree attempted robbery and two counts of armed criminal action.