Charges dropped against 21-year-old man in fatal shooting at Independence Center mall
The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office has dropped all six charges filed against an Independence man accused of fatally shooting a young pregnant woman at a shopping mall last year.
The Nov. 10 shooting claimed the life of 19-year-old Karla Brown, who was shot in the head following a confrontation between two groups at Independence Center.
MarkAnthony Greer, 21, was originally charged with three counts of unlawful use of a weapon and three counts of armed criminal action for his alleged role in the shooting. One of the weapon charges was upgraded to second-degree murder earlier this year.
Court records indicate the shooting took place around 2:30 in a mall breezeway. Greer and Brown entered with different groups of people and Brown had dropped back and sat in a nearby chair before the disagreement turned violent.
At the time of the shooting, Greer told investigators that he had been present at the mall but was not armed.
The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed Monday that the charges had been dropped due to insufficient evidence gathered during the pre-trial research process.
“Evidence obtained since filing convinced us we could not prove those charges beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Michael Mansur, a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office.
However, the county’s investigation into Greer will continue, and a different set of charges could still follow, Mansur said.
The guns used in the shooting were not collected by police, who instead relied on blood spatter and shell casings as evidence.
According to friends and family, Brown had gone to the mall to shop for baby clothes. She was four months pregnant and expecting a baby boy, who she planned to name Max, when she was shot.
Brown was placed on life support after the shooting and died about a week later. Her family filed a lawsuit against the mall and its security company in April, alleging both were negligent in their duty to keep the mall safe and secure.
Greer was also shot in the lower back during the incident, according to court documents, and three additional people were each shot in the leg. Court records indicate that at least one member of each group may have fired shots at each other.
A second young man, 19-year-old Leandre Peterson Jr., is still facing charges of tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution. He was initially charged with destroying, suppressing or concealing a gun in the shooting.
This story was originally published August 19, 2024 at 9:53 PM.
