Trenton Man Charged With Shooting Death Of Trenton Teen

Wednesday, October 2, 2024, 12:00 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

TRENTON, NJ.- A 19-year-old Trenton, New Jersey, wanted in connection with the September 22, 2024, fatal shooting of a 17-year-old Trenton boy, was apprehended on Monday, September 30, 2024, in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, by members of the U.S. Marshals New York/ New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force.

     According to Acting Mercer County Prosecutor Theresa L. Hilton, Keisan Simmons, 19, of Trenton, New Jersey, has been formally charged with one count of first-degree Murder; second-degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon; and second-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose.

Simmons Detained Pending Extradition

     Following being taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals and the Morrisville Police Department, Simmons was lodged in the Bucks County Correctional Facility pending extradition to New Jersey. The Mercer County Prosecutors Office has filed a motion in Mercer County Superior Court to detain Simmons pending trial.

     The charges stem from an investigation that began on Sunday, September 22, 2024, when shortly after 12:30 p.m., members of the Trenton Police Department responded to a ShotSpotter activation in the area of Parkside and Homan Avenues in the City of Trenton.

     Upon arrival, Police Officers found a teen, later identified as Opium Leverette, 17, of Trenton, New Jersey, suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound to his back. Mr. Leverette was immediately transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where, despite life-saving efforts by doctors, Mr. Leverette succumbed to the gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased a short time later.

     The investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with additional information regarding the shooting death of Mr. Leverette is urged to contact Mercer County Homicide Task Force Detective Luis Vega at (609) 278-2720 or Detective Sergeant William Jett, Jr. at (609) 331-5010. Information can also be emailed to mchtftips@mercercounty.org.

“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”