Prosecutors have filed murder charges against a 16-year-old boy caught posing as a woman following a Sunday’s deadly gunfight in Auburn that claimed another teen’s life.

Prosecutors have filed murder charges against a 16-year-old boy caught posing as a woman following a Sunday’s deadly gunfight in Auburn that claimed another teen’s life.

Also charged Wednesday was the slain teen’s father charged with assault following allegations that he emptied a pistol into an apartment he believed to be associated with his son’s killer. Asked if he meant to shoot those inside, the dead boy's father allegedly answered, “They killed my (expletive) son! What do you expect?”

Filing charges, King County prosecutors claimed James A. Mills shot and killed Adrian Wilson, also 16, during a 5 p.m. shootout at the Aspen Meadows Apartments, located in at 402 21st St. S.E. Two others were injured during the shooting.

According to charging documents, Wilson and his family were attending a community barbeque at the apartment complex when the shooting began.

Witnesses told police Wilson and Mills were in an argument when Mills pulled a pistol and shot the other teen. Wilson died at the scene.

Two other young men were also injured during the initial shooting, though police have yet to detail how they ended up injured. Prosecutors did not charge Mills with injuring them.

Immediately after the shooting, the dead teen’s father, Gabe Wilson, rushed into the common area with a gun in hand and began, Auburn Detective Michelle Vojir told the court.

Gabe Wilson, 45, then fired numerous times into an apartment occupied by people associated with Mills, the detective continued. Witnesses said he yelled during the shooting.

“I am going to (expletive) kill you guys,” Gabe Wilson allegedly shouted.

Officers arriving at the scene restrained Gabe Wilson as he attempted to rush one of the witnesses to the shootings. Speaking with officers, Gabe Wilson allegedly said he saw that witness hand Mills the pistol used to kill his son.

According to charging documents, Gabe Wilson told police he picked up a gun dropped on the ground near one of two men injured in the initial shooting. He then said he attempted to chase down Mills and another youth but returned to the apartment complex when he couldn’t locate them.

Questioned by police, Gabe Wilson allegedly admitted to using the dropped gun to shoot up an apartment unit where those associated with Mills resided. Asked whether he intended to hit those inside the apartment, Vojir said Gabe Wilson responded in the affirmative.

“They killed my (expletive) son!” he allegedly said. “What do you expect?”

Investigators recovered 17 shell casings from the common area where Adrian Wilson was killed.

Mills was arrested at 10 p.m. the following day after Auburn officers tracked him to his mother’s apartment in Kent, the Auburn detective said in court documents. Officers at the apartment saw what appeared to be a thin woman at the apartment door and moved to investigate.

“They approached the female and she took off her purse, sunglasses and wig,” Vojir told the court. “At that point, the officers recognized the ‘female’ as Mills and placed him under arrest.”

Speaking with police, Mills allegedly said he’d brought the gun to protect his girlfriend’s mother from Gabe Wilson, with whom she had had problems in the past. Other witnesses told police Gabe Wilson had sent threatening messages to the woman, who also lives in the apartment complex.

The teen allegedly went on to admit to shooting Adrian Wilson after he approached him during their argument at the barbeque.

“I’m not gonna run away from my problems,” Mills said, according to charging documents. “I’m not getting’ punked, not gonna intimidate me.

“I’m gonna stay right there and do what I planned to do.”

An autopsy conducted Monday showed Adrian Wilson died of a single gunshot wound to the chin.

Investigators claim Mills is a member of a Crips-affiliated street gang. Gabe Wilson is alleged to be a member of the Nortenos, a Northern California gang.

While the gangs are not known to be rivals, Vojir noted that gatherings of gang members can be explosive.

“The presence of gang members of unrelated gang sets together in one place is a volatile situation requiring the members to adequately represent themselves before their peers,” the detective told the court. “This situation would normally lead to gang members arming themselves prior to anticipated contact with members of another gang set.”

Mills has been charged with second-degree murder in King County Superior Court. He is charged as an adult due to his age.

Gabriel Wilson has been charged with first-degree assault and, because of an earlier felony drug conviction, unlawful possession of a firearm. Both remain jailed.

You Might Also Like :