GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Kent County Prosecutor has authorized murder charges against a teenager in the murder of an East Kentwood High School student.
Ahmed Adel Hasan, 17, was arraigned Wednesday on charges of open murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery in the death of 17-year-old James King.
If convicted on the murder charge, Hasan faces up to life in prison.
King was shot and killed Sunday in the parking lot of a strip mall near 44th Street and Kalamazoo SE.
Court documents say Hasan admitted to driving with four others to the 4200 block of Kalamazoo SE with the intent of robbing King of marijuana. The deal for the marijuana had been arranged over social media.
Police say Hasan told investigators he noticed that one of the members of the group did have a handgun.
Hasan says he got out of the vehicle at the robbery site and another member of the group took over driving. He says he watched the group rob King, and then a person in the back seat shot King and pushed him from the vehicle.
Police were led to Hasan by surveillance video that showed his vehicle being used in the robbery.
No other arrests have been announced at this time.
