Racine teen gang dispute killing, 16-year-old gets life in prison
RACINE, Wis. - A Racine teen has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2022 of killing 16-year-old Quentin Smith.
Zontell Junior, 16, was found guilty at trial in July 2023 of first-degree intentional homicide. The verdict comes after a judge previously declared a mistrial in the case.
Online court records show Junior is eligible for extended supervision after serving 45 years behind bars.
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Prosecutors said Junior – who was 15 years old at the time of the shooting – killed Smith because he was a member of a rival gang. According to a criminal complaint, a witness told investigators he was at his home with both teens at the time of the shooting. Junior said he was going to shoot Smith "because he messes with the opps," the witness said. Junior is affiliated with the "NFL Vice Lord" gang, while Smith was associated with the "Dirty P's" gang, prosecutors said.
Later, the three were in the driveway when Junior got a call on his phone. The witness answered the phone, the complaint states, and while he was on the phone, the witness told investigators he heard a loud gunshot. He then saw Smith fall to the ground, and he saw that Junior had a gun. The witness said he ran inside to tell his mom while Junior ran inside, grabbed his phone from the witness's hands and left.
Quentin Smith (Courtesy: GoFundMe)
According to prosecutors, video showed Junior running to his home. A search of his home revealed only a black sweatshirt Junior was wearing at the time of the shooting. Junior was found at his grandmother's home, according to investigators. He was interviewed by police and initially said he was in the backyard going to the bathroom when the shooting happened, and said the witness was near the victim when he heard the shot. He said he then ran upstairs to tell the witness' mom what happened.
Investigators confronted Junior about the phone call he received at the time of the shooting. According to the complaint, Junior seemed "surprised" when notified that investigators listened to the call and knew the witness was on the phone when the shot was fired. Junior was also told that the witness told investigators Junior was the one who killed Smith.
At this point, Junior told investigators he wanted to show them something on his phone, but when told the investigators would have to open the phone and view it with him, he claimed to have deleted his call log. He did say Smith was shot with a "Ghost Glock," according to prosecutors.