Cape man faces felony tampering in connection with one of two fatal shootings; investigation into homicides continues

Prosecutors charged an 18-year-old Cape Girardeau man Thursday with tampering with physical evidence in connection with one of the two shooting deaths at an apartment complex Wednesday.

Tyrese R. Lane, 18, of 1542 Spanish St., was charged after police said he pocketed several bullets in an apartment at Cape Meadows Circle after a friend of his, Leslie C. Williams, 20, of Cape Girardeau, was fatally shot.

Williams was one of two people fatally shot Wednesday at the apartment complex, according to police and the Cape Girardeau/Bollinger County Major Case Squad. The other was Quincy R. Lucious III, 18, of St. Louis.

Police initially responded to a reported shooting in the 500 block of Cape Meadows Circle at 10:28 a.m. When they arrived, no victim was found.

Police subsequently learned Lucious had been taken by private vehicle to Southeast Hospital. He was dead by the time police arrived at the hospital, police public information officer Rick Schmidt said.

The body of Williams was discovered in an apartment while police were investigating the first shooting, according to the major case squad.

According to a probable cause statement, Lane told police he was in the Cape Meadows apartment when Williams was shot.

Lane said after the shooting he "attempted to provide what medical aid he could to his friend," police Det. Doug Hays said in the probable cause statement.

According to Hays, "Lane said that he had even attempted to contact someone across the hall to call 911."

Lane then noticed "several bullets lying around," Hays wrote in the statement. According to the statement, Lane picked up several bullets and placed them in his pants pockets with the intent to dispose of them later.

Lane said he picked up the bullets because "he thought he would get blamed for the homicide," Hays wrote.

The bullets were discovered in Lane's pants pockets when he was brought to the station for questioning, according to the statement.

Hays wrote that Lane is not believed to have participated in the shooting.

Police said they recovered a shoe and a gun Wednesday outside an apartment building at Cape Meadows Circle.

The major case squad continues to investigate. As of late Thursday afternoon, no arrest had been made in connection with the shootings.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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