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Louisville man charged with murder of 16-year-old Moore High School student, police say

Billy Kobin
Louisville Courier Journal
Shalae Stewart Jr.

A Louisville man was arrested Wednesday and charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old Moore High School student in February, police say.

Shalae Kelshawn Stewart Jr., 21, and a juvenile suspect allegedly fatally shot Mykhi Brown multiple times at Fifth Street and Creel Avenue on Feb. 9, according to police.

Stewart was arrested Wednesday afternoon and faces one count each of murder, tampering with physical evidence, possessing a handgun as a convicted felon and first-degree wanton endangerment, according to court records.

Evidence from the scene indicated that Stewart and the juvenile used at least two different guns to shoot Brown, with video surveillance capturing the juvenile passing a handgun to Stewart, according to the citation.

After the shooting, a witness saw Stewart and the juvenile change clothes and place the clothing and weapons in a backpack. Video captured the two leaving the scene immediately after Brown was shot, the arrest report added.

'We don't understand':Family of slain Louisville 16-year-old look for answers

Stewart had been on a three-year diversion program and prohibited from possessing firearms in connection with charges of burglary, assault of a service animal and more in 2018, according to court records.

Stewart was booked into Louisville Metro Corrections and pleaded not guilty during an arraignment hearing Thursday morning, when his bond was set at $50,000, court records show.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 5.

Following his death, Brown's loved ones remembered the Moore student as someone who loved basketball, always said "yes ma'am" when his mom needed help and wanted to get baptized. 

Mykhi Brown was shot and killed on Feb. 9.

"He was trying to make the best of his life with his brothers and sisters that looked up to him," Brown's grandmother, Angela Crenshaw, said in March.

"It's something that there's no words for," Crenshaw added. "Stop the violence."

Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com or 502-582-7030. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.