Lamar County Teen Pleads Guilty To Assault, Gets Probation In High-Profile Shooting Case

SULLIGENT, AL — A Sulligent teenager pleaded guilty on Friday to second-degree assault in the January shooting of his mother's boyfriend and will serve a probationary sentence that includes court supervision and mandatory anger-management treatment.

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24th Judicial Circuit District Attorney Andy Hamlin announced that Marquese Donshae Gunter, 19, entered the plea in Lamar County Circuit Court, admitting he shot Travis Smith on Jan. 23, while he was seated on a couch inside an apartment on Bogue Court.

Investigators determined Smith was unarmed and posed no threat at the time of the shooting.

“I hope the ordered supervision and anger-management treatment give Mr. Gunter a real opportunity to move forward while ensuring the public remains safe,” Hamlin said. “He clearly has a lot of support, and I hope that will encourage him to stay on a successful path.”

Circuit Court Judge Sam Junkin issued the suspended sentence, which came following widespread public concern in the wake of the shooting, mainly over the $750,000 bond set for the teenager — an amount too high for his family to afford.

Gunter appeared in court with his attorney and acknowledged that his account matched physical evidence at the scene and the statement he gave Sulligent police just hours after the shooting.

Questions later emerged in the community about whether Gunter fired to protect his mother. Hamlin said investigators examined that possibility but found no evidence to support it.

Witness statements and physical evidence contradicted the claim, Hamlin said, and Gunter reaffirmed in court that the shooting unfolded exactly as he first reported to investigators.

Sulligent Police said Gunter, his mother and Smith lived together in the apartment at the time of the shooting.

Officers arrived shortly after 5:45 p.m. and found Smith suffering from gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen. He was taken to a hospital in Tupelo, Mississippi, where he underwent treatment for serious injuries.

Evidence showed Smith was seated on the couch and that neither Gunter nor anyone else in the apartment was in danger when the shots were fired.

Investigators also determined there had been no physical confrontation involving Smith and Gunter’s mother before the shooting.

Gunter remained at the scene and surrendered the handgun, which he told officers was stolen, and cooperated with law enforcement during the investigation.

Hamlin said the plea agreement came at the request of Gunter’s attorney, who contacted prosecutors after a recent bond hearing to propose negotiations.

“This case could have easily turned into a homicide,” Hamlin said. “I’m thankful to the officers who responded quickly and to the investigators who worked thoroughly to uncover the truth about what happened that day. We’re grateful that Mr. Smith survived and that this case has been resolved without a trial.”

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