A 17-year-old has been sentenced to prison for robbing a teen of his shoes at a gas station in Canton.
Shunquez Harris pleaded guilty to strong-arm robbery in Madison County Circuit Court, according to the District Attorneys of Madison and Rankin Counties.
On Monday, he was sentenced to a maximum of 15 years in Mississippi Department of Corrections detention.
On October 11, 2024, the Canton Police Department responded to a call from the victim’s mother, who reported that her seventeen-year-old son had been robbed of his shoes at a petrol station.
Officers were able to collect security footage depicting the suspect entering the business behind the victim, flashing a firearm at the teen, and then showing the victim removing his shoes and passing them to the suspect.
Officers knew Harris in the video from past interactions with him.
Harris eventually admitted to the heist to detectives from the Madison County Sheriff’s Department and the Canton Police Department.
The defendant decided to go to trial but later changed his mind and entered a guilty plea following voir dire.
The state dismissed another armed robbery indictment against Harris as part of the plea agreement because the victim had relocated out of state.
District Attorney Bubba Bramlett stated, “Please let this case put all young people on notice in Madison and Rankin counties: I do not care how old you are. If you commit crimes with a firearm in my district, I have original jurisdiction over your case. You will be indicted as an adult, and you will face prison time. This teenager lost the next 15 years of his life over a pair of tennis shoes. I will not stand for senseless acts of violence against the citizens of Madison and Rankin counties.”
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