Hearing scheduled for murder suspects
KINGSTON, N.Y. » The two men charged with murder in the fatal shooting of 12-year- old D’Janeira Mason in her Midtown home are scheduled to appear in City Court for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, Dec. 29, according to Ulster County District Attorney David Clegg.
Gilbert Thomas, 24, and Robert Nikia “Nikki” James, 46, both of Kingston, have been charged with second- degree murder, felony assault and criminal use of a firearm i n connection with the Dec. 17 fatal shooting at 60 Van Buren St., state police said Thursday.
The hearing for Thomas and James is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday, Clegg said, but it was not immediately clear whether it will be held in person or virtually. There also was no immediate word about which lawyer or lawyers will be representing the defendants.
James was arrested at 3:52 p. m. Wednesday and Thomas at 12:21 a.m.
Thursday. Both are being held in the Ulster County Jail without bail.
D’Janeira died at the scene of a gunshot wound to her head after shots were fired into her family’ s apartment about 8 p.m. Dec .17, authorities said. Her 10- yearold brother, Dasane, suffered a gunshot wound to the arm and was reported to be in stable condition at Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital i n Poughkeepsie
Clegg called the shooting a “depraved” and targeted attack.
Authorities have not said who t hey believe f ired the shot or shots that killed D’Janeira and wounded Dasane, and they have declined to provide a possible motive in the case.