Wanted teen arrested in fatal Tacoma drive-by shooting

A 17-year-old charged in the fatal drive-by shooting of another teenager who ran to the corner store for candy was arrested Monday, officials said Tuesday.

Pierce County prosecutors last month charged Clifford Krentkowski with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and four counts of first-degree assault. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday, and Court Commissioner Meagan Foley set his bail at $1.5 million.

Krentkowski’s co-defendants — Alexander Kitt, 23; Lance Milton-Ausley, 17; Jeremy Bolieu, 16; Jermohnn Gore, 16; and an unidentified 15-year-old charged as a juvenile — have pleaded not guilty to the same charges.

Authorities allege the group shot and killed Brandon Morris, 19, as he stood with friends outside a convenience store at South 45th Street and South Puget Sound Avenue May 1.

Witnesses said an SUV drove down the alley and somebody inside began shooting. One of the bullets hit Morris in the head.

Morris and his friends had no gang affiliations, but at least one boy was wearing red clothing, leading investigators to believe they were mistaken for gang members.

This story was originally published July 7, 2015 at 2:54 PM with the headline "Wanted teen arrested in fatal Tacoma drive-by shooting."