WAYNE CITY MAN FACES OCTOBER TRIAL IN MT. VERNON SHOOTING CASE

A Wayne City man is set to stand trial October 21st in connection with a July shooting in Mt. Vernon that left two people dead and five others injured.
29-year-old Dequan Hopkins is charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle, a Class 1 felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a Class 2 felony. A SWAT team arrested Hopkins on August 6th at his home in Wayne City. Judge Jerry Crisel denied him pretrial release, ordering he remain in custody until trial.
Court records show Hopkins has a prior murder conviction. In 2015, he was arrested in Chicago after firing into an occupied vehicle, striking and killing his brother, Jovan Hopkins, who was crossing a nearby street. Hopkins later served prison time for the crime.
In the Jefferson County case, a pretrial hearing is set for September 30th with a final pretrial on October 14th. Judge Crisel has also approved a defense request to hire an investigator.