Teen indicted in student’s death

The Painesville teen accused in the death of 16-year-old Yorry Timely has been indicted by a grand jury.

The Painesville teen accused in the shooting death of 16-year-old Harvey High School student Yorry Timely has formally been indicted by the Lake County grand jury.

Christian Falu, 18, is facing four third-degree felonies stemming from Timley’s Oct. 19 death. Falu is facing a reckless homicide charge along with three counts of tampering with evidence. The reckless homicide charge includes a firearm specification that carries a three-year mandatory prison sentence if he is found guilty, according to court records.

Falu was 17 at the time of the shooting. His case was originally in the Lake County Juvenile Court but was later bound over to the adult court by Juvenile Court Judge Karen Lawson.

On the night of the shooting, Falu, Timley and two other juveniles were at Falu’s cousin’s apartment celebrating a birthday. They were allegedly playing with the gun before the shooting.

Painesville Detective Jason Hughes said at a court hearing in January that Snapchat video that allegedly showed Falu playing with the gun. Another of the boys, not Timley, was holding a magazine for the gun that he showed on the video. Later that night, Falu allegedly pointed the gun at Timley’s chest and pulled the trigger.

The gun used in the shooting was never recovered. Hughes said that Falu took them to where he hid the gun in the aftermath of the shooting, a grill in the backyard of a home. When he returned with police, the gun was gone. A shell casing that had been thrown into a sewer grate was recovered, Hughes said.

Falu remains in the Lake County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bond with a 10 percent cash option. An attempt by Falu’s lawyer Timothy Deeb to have Falu’s bond lowered was rejected by Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge John P. O’Donnell.

The case has been assigned to Judge Vincent A. Culotta.