MERCER COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Mercer County man was found guilty on Thursday of unlawful wounding stemming from a shooting incident in 2020.
Tyler Campbell, 18, was found guilty after a jury trial before Circuit Judge Derek Swope. The felony conviction carries a sentence of one to five years in the penitentiary. The incident occurred in May of 2020 where Campbell shot Quinzell Payne in the vicinity of Kee Dam. The shotgun blast to Payne’s head caused life-threatening injuries and inflicted permanent damage.
“The initial call was that there was a patient at the Bluefield Regional Medical Center that had injuries to the face and the person that brought him there said there was an explosion in the car,” said Detective-Sergeant S.A. Sommers.
Payne was then transferred to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital in Roanoke, Virginia.
According to the investigation, most of the shotgun pellets were absorbed by the vehicle but Payne lost his right eye due to the incident.
Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys John McGinnis and Adam Wolfe represented the State, and Campbell was defended by attorneys Joe Harvey and J.J. McPherson.
After the verdict was delivered, Judge Derek Swope revoked Campbell’s bond. Campbell has been remanded to Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, WV awaiting sentencing.
Campbell’s defense attorneys have filed a motion for a new trial which will be argued in June. Should the motion for a new trial be denied, the court will proceed with sentencing Campbell.
