CASPER — Drinking among acquaintances devolved into a teen allegedly pistol-whipping one man then shooting a car with three other people in it.
It’s the latest in a string of violent crimes involving teens in the Oil City, with a 19-year-old Cheyenne suspect in Casper Circuit Court on Tuesday, where he was bound over to District Court on five felony charges.
The Aug. 31 incident is the latest example of violent crimes by teens in Casper and follows a 15-year-old allegedly saying “I hope I killed one” after shooting up a trailer home on Aug. 12, and two teen murders in the city earlier this year.
Two teens face first-degree murder charges, accused of stabbing a 14-year-old to death at a local mall, and another is charged as an adult for allegedly shooting his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend
Casper Manager Carter Napier said the city is paying attention to the disturbing trend and continues to work toward curbing issues with youth, guns and alcohol with a goal of preventing these types of crimes.
“The law enforcement community, (Casper) Police Department and (Natrona County) Sheriff’s Office — along with other police agencies and the DA — have a really good partnership in following up on these kinds of crimes and holding the right people accountable,” he said. “With that partnership we have been able to bring that accountability with speed and some effectiveness.”
Napier said the hope is that bringing “accountability” and “follow up” through the partnerships will transmit the message that, “Casper is not the kind of place to do those crimes, and we will keep sending that message.”
Pistol Whipping
In the latest case, Jeremy David Lakey of Cheyenne is charged with three counts of aggravated assault and battery, one count of property destruction and defacement more than $1,000, and possession of a deadly weapon with unlawful intent.
The charges stem from Lakey’s alleged pistol whipping of a 21-year-old Casper man he had been drinking with, then later shooting at someone and hitting a car with three other Casper men in it ages 22, 18, and 20 early Saturday.
A police affidavit states that a Casper police officer was called to an unknown disturbance in the 2700 block of East 14th Street shortly after 2:30 a.m. when he heard shots fired. Other officers were dispatched as well.
The initial officer responded to East 12th Street and Country Club Drive and saw a dark vehicle speed away at 70 mph in a 30 mph zone. He got a partial plate number.
Other officers found a 21-year-old man in the area who said he had been pistol-whipped and assaulted by two males in a small SUV.
The affidavit states that officers found a fired shell casing and two unfired 9 mm rounds on the ground. In searching for suspects, officers later located an empty Ford Escape parked on Andrea Lane with bullet holes in the rear.
The Escape was towed away as evidence.
The 21-year-old alleged victim said he had been drinking with Lakey and an 18-year-old at his residence and gone with them in the vehicle, and at one point Lakey took out his pistol and pointed it at the 21-year-old’s face and asked if he was friends with a particular person.
“(He) alleged he was pistol-whipped in the face by Lakey, with the barrel of the gun striking the side of his face,” the affidavit states.
A detective observed a straight line cut on the right side of the alleged victim’s mouth. The 21-year-old told the investigator that Lakey said “he was going to kill him.”
The alleged victim tried to dial 911 and was told to get out of the vehicle so he and Lakey could fight.
He told police he did not want to fight and tried to block blows, but did not defend himself because of the weapon, the affidavit states. The victim then received a phone call from his 22-year-old cousin and the two cousins he had been drinking with at his own residence earlier. The alleged victim told his 22-year-old cousin that Lakey had a gun pointed at him.
The affidavit states at that point, a car with his cousins pulled up and the 21-year-old ran, heard several gunshots, then heard his cousins’ vehicle leave, followed by more gunshots.
Car With Bullet Strike
Meanwhile, about 3:45 a.m. Natrona County deputies pulled over a black vehicle in Evansville with registration similar to that noted by the Casper officer and observed a bullet strike to its left rear window. Those inside were taken to the Casper police department for interviews.
The affidavit states that a 22-year-old male passenger told police he was a cousin of the other two in the vehicle as well as to the alleged victim.
The 22-year-old stated they had been drinking brandy at the alleged victim’s residence when the pair in the SUV arrived. They had been drinking Twisted Tea and “acting strange.” As they drank, there was an alleged interaction between Lakey and the 22-year-old, where Lakey tried to “pistol whip” him, the affidavit stated.
Later after Lakey and the 18-year-old left to go get more alcohol, his cousin and alleged victim went with them. The 22-year-old asked one of his other cousins to take him home.
As they were driving, one of the cousins received a phone call stating that the 21-year-old victim had been shot. The affidavit states Lakey sent his location and the trio responded to the East 14th and Country Club location. There Lakey was allegedly holding a pistol in his hand and he and his companion approached the vehicle. The 22-year-old told police he jumped out of the vehicle and ran.
The 22-year-old said he was later picked up by his cousins and denied having a weapon or that his cousins had a weapon.
An 18-year-old cousin driving the vehicle told police that once at the scene, Lakey came to his car and knocked on the window with the pistol to get them to roll the window down. He and the 18-year-old leaned into the car and told them that their cousin “was dead in a ditch.”
“During this conversation (the 18-year-old driver) observed the (alleged victim) running from the area. (The 22-year-old) and Lakey got into a heated argument … and again Lakey racked the slide of his gun two times” shot at the 22-year-old and missed and hit his car,” the affidavit stated.
The 18-year-old told police he then drove off and was followed by Lakey and the 18-year-old in their vehicle until he lost them.
Officer Flagged Down
Meanwhile, at 1:20 p.m. that same day, the affidavit states Lakey flagged down an officer looking for his vehicle. The officer understood that Lakey’s SUV had been towed as evidence in the early morning shooting. He transported Lakey to department for an interview.
According to the affidavit, Lakey told police that while at the home of the trio, the 22-year-old had reached for Lakey’s gun and that he “cocked the pistol and told everyone to chill out.”
He said the 22-year-old then left and said he was going to get this gun.
Lakey claimed his 18-year-old companion had struck the 21-year-old alleged victim after they had left in his vehicle because of a problem between the alleged victim and the 18-year-old’s brother.
Lakey told police that when he approached the trio’s vehicle he racked his pistol “maybe a couple of times” and thought he saw the 22-year-old with a gun or about to point a gun at him.
“Lakey stepped back from the vehicle and fired at the vehicle,” the affidavit states he told police. “Lakey advised he heard no other gunfire, other than his own, until he had returned to his vehicle and left the area.”
Lakey alleged that the other vehicle followed them “and fired several times at his vehicle.”
He told police he didn’t know what happened to his pistol after going into an apartment on Andrea Lane and passing out.
Court records show no current charges against others involved in the incident.
The three aggravated assault and battery charges against Lakey each carry a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison. The property destruction and defacement charge also carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The possession of a deadly weapon with unlawful intent charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000 or both.
Bond was set at $100,000 cash. Lakey remains in the Natrona County jail.
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
