An Orange County grand jury has formally indicted an 18-year-old man on multiple charges, including first-degree murder, in connection with a drug deal near a local park that turned into an attempted robbery and fatal shooting.
On Wednesday, October 2, Tenaje Johnson was indicted on charges of first-degree murder; attempted robbery with a firearm; shooting at, within, or into an occupied vehicle; and possession of a firearm by a minor.
Johnson was arrested in late July, two weeks after 19-year-old Christopher Louis Dumesle was shot and killed near Lake Lawne Park in Orlando. At the time of his arrest, Johnson was 17 years old.
According to Orlando police, officers responded to the 1300 block of Lawne Boulevard at around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 14, in reference to shots being fired. When officers arrived on scene, they found a man, later identified as Dumesle, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound.
The police department stated that Dumesle was “slumped over” inside a crashed vehicle. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by paramedics.
OPD launched an investigation, which revealed that Dumesle had arrived at the incident location for a drug deal. According to police, two suspects “met (the victim) there for a robbery attempt,” which resulted in the fatal shooting.
Shortly after midnight on Tuesday, July 30, OPD stated on social media that a 17-year-old suspect, Johnson, has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the shooting death of Dumesle.
Nearly two months later, on Wednesday, September 25, the State Attorney’s Office “presented sufficient evidence” to a grand jury to secure an indictment against Johnson for first-degree murder, attempted robbery, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and possession of a firearm by a minor.
While the deadly shooting took place prior to Johnson’s 18th birthday, the State Attorney’s Office has directed that Johnson be charged as an adult in this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.