TACOMA, Wash. — The teen accused of robbing a Tacoma dispensary and fatally shooting an employee in 2022 is being charged as an adult.
A judge ruled Monday that several cases against Marshon Jones, 17, will be declined into adult court, including one where Jones is charged with first-degree murder, according to the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
On Tuesday, a judge set bail at $3 million.
Prosecutors and Jones' defense attorney made arguments Aug. 11 on whether Jones should be charged as an adult. The judge had until Aug. 21 to make a decision.
Jones, who was 15 at the time, is accused of robbing World of Weed Cannabis Dispensary on March 19, 2022, along with Montrell Hatfield, who was 16 at the time, which led to the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Jordan Brown of Gig Harbor.
Charging documents allege Jones shot Brown after he got into an altercation with Hatfield. Police found Brown with a gunshot wound after arriving at the scene and attempted to provide him first aid, however, he was pronounced dead.
Brown's father told KING 5 that his death left a "big hole in all our hearts."
“He missed my daughter’s wedding. He’s gonna miss the birth of his niece or nephew coming up because my daughter is pregnant," Dennis Brown said. "He missed birthdays, he missed Christmases, he missed going to Husky football games with me - so those voids are collateral to all our families.
"Jordan would go to California to hang out with my family. So the family here, it’s just a big hole in all our hearts. Whatever happens in this trial, it’s still gonna be a void in our hearts, forever. Whether he’s tried as a juvenile or adult, that’s never going to go away because Jordan’s not walking through my doors.”
Jones and Hatfield are linked to multiple other armed robberies, for which Jones will also be charged as an adult. In these cases, Jones and Hatfield are accused of robbing Lucid marijuana dispensary in Puyallup on March 14, 2022, Diamond Green marijuana dispensary in Tacoma on March 15 and Commencement Bay Cannabis on March 16.
Both were arrested in Kent a week apart approximately a month after the deadly shooting.
Hatfield pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm last year. Hatfield was charged as an adult.
Jones' next court date will be Aug. 28 to present the findings from the declination hearing.