An Auburn man has been charged with first-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of an 8-year-old Federal Way girl last month.
Andre M. Jimerson, 35, turned himself in to Kent Police on May 11. Jimerson is facing charges of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. He has been accused of handling a gun that went off inside a Federal Way apartment, according to King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office documents.
The bullet traveled through several walls of the apartment before striking 8-year-old Royal’lee Wallace — who was identified by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office — in the head. The girl died from her injuries the following day on April 26, and her death was ruled a homicide.
He is being held at King County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail and his arraignment is schedule for 9 a.m. May 27 at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
In early April, a domestic violence protection order was issued against Jimerson, prohibiting him from possessing any firearms.
“His defiance of that order and his actions in this case led to the death of an 8-year-old girl,” the documents stated. After the April 25 shooting, Jimerson’s whereabouts were unknown for more than two weeks.
Jimerson has three prior convictions for assault, and in one case he was charged with assaulting an 11-year-old child.
According to the charging documents:
On April 25, the 8-year-old girl with a gunshot wound was brought to St. Francis Hospital by her father. The father told police he lived at an apartment complex near the 27900 block of Pacific Highway South.
“He told officers that he was home alone watching television with his daughter when he heard a gunshot,” the documents state. The father allegedly said the shot did not come from outside the apartment, but rather from inside the residence.
The father initially told officers nobody else was in the apartment with him and his daughter at the time of the shooting.
Later, police discovered Jimerson — who is the father’s cousin — and Jimerson’s girlfriend were inside the apartment at the time.
The three adults were drinking and listening to music in the master bedroom of the apartment while Royal’lee was in the living room on April 25.
Jimerson allegedly was sitting in a chair, rapping along to music and waving the gun around when it fired, his girlfriend told police. It is unclear where the gun came from or who brought the gun to the apartment.
The bullet from the gun traveled from the master bedroom through the middle bedroom and into the living room, where it struck Royal’lee. In the master bedroom, detectives recovered a spent .45 caliber cartridge case next to the chair, documents state.
The girlfriend drove the father and Royal’lee to the hospital, then returned to the Federal Way apartment, picked up Jimerson and dropped him off in Auburn.
Police were unable to locate Jimerson for over two weeks after the shooting and shortly after the shooting, he had turned off his phone.
Jimerson turned himself into Kent Police around 2:30 a.m. May 11.
Royal’lee’s obituary says she “was a bright young lady, full of spirit, energy, and life.” She was described as “thoughtful, caring, and helpful to everyone she encountered kids and adults.”
Her memorial service was held on May 8 in Kent.
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