Trio indicted in shootings of toddlers, face up to life in prison if convicted

Keshawn Jennings, 20, Antwaine Jones, 18, and James Moore, 20, have all been indicted with murder charges in connection with a shooting at Moody Manor that killed a 1-year-old girl and injured a 2-year-old girl.

Three men previously charged with obstructing justice for actions related to the shooting of two toddlers — one fatally — at the Moody Manor apartment complex were indicted by a Lucas County grand jury Wednesday on murder and other charges.

Keshawn Jennings, 20, of 244 Wasaon St., James Moore, 20, of 2037 W. Terrace View St., and Antwaine Jones, 18, of 3145 Cottage Ave., each were charged with aggravated murder, murder, two counts each of attempt to commit aggravated murder, two counts of attempt to commit murder, four counts counts each of felonious assault, and improper discharge of a firearm into a habitation.

If convicted, they face up to life in prison. The men are to be arraigned today before Common Pleas Judge Frederick McDonald.

The men previously had faced obstruction of justice charges and had been released on bond. Authorities alleged they were involved in the shooting Aug. 9 that resulted in the death of 1-year-old Keondra Hooks and the wounding of her sister, Leondra, 2.

According to Ohio law, aggravated murder can be charged when the victim is under the age of 13. The three men each were charged with alternate counts of aggravated murder and murder for the death of Keondra.

The remaining charges relate to the four other occupants — two adults and two children — who were in the apartment at the time of the shooting.

Specifically, Leondra and another child are the victims in the attempted aggravated murder charges while the two attempted murder charges list the two adults as the victims. The felonious assault charges relate to each of the surviving people in the residence.

“Once the police completed their investigation, the case was presented to Lucas County Grand Jury who returned the indictment and the specification,” said Jeff Lingo, chief of the criminal division for the county prosecutor’s office. Mr. Lingo declined to comment further on the case.

The three men were charged in August with obstructing justice for allegedly lying to police about being at the Moody Manor on the night of the shooting.

Authorities said a video surveillance taken from the scene showed five people and that two of those people have since identified the three defendants as being there.

Keondra was shot once in the head when at least 12 shots were fired into an apartment where she and her sister were sleeping at 2225 Kent St.

She died 12 hours later in Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center. Leondra was shot in the chest but survived.

Police say they believe the shooters thought they were firing into a Moody Manor apartment claimed by the Manor Boys gang to kill a member of another gang.

Staff writers Erica Blake and Taylor Dungjen compiled this report.