Antoine Whitney

Jalen Welch, now 18, was charged on Monday with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Welch has been held in the adult jail in St. Louis County since April, and a judge has issued a $1 million cash-only bond in his case, according to online records. Florissant police say Welch shot Antoine Whitney, 49, his mother's husband, once in the head with a semi-automatic hand gun on Sept. 2, 2024, at their home on Brower Lane. Welch was 17 at the time. Welch sent a text within minutes of the shooting apologizing to his family for what he had done, Florissant police wrote in charging documents. They also found surveillance footage taken at another relative’s home after the shooting that showed family members gathering, “at which time Jalen can be heard admitting to shooting Whitney.” Family members then “chastised Welch for leaving the gun behind.” Welch’s mother did not immediately comment on the case when reached Tuesday. In his ruling to certify Welch as an adult, filed Monday, Judge Jason Dodson said the allegations against Welch were “perhaps some of the most tragic” he’s encountered. He mentioned that Welch had suffered abuse and trauma, which a psychologist said “combined with his developing neurobiology to (allegedly) lead to the violent lethal act.” Whitney’s obituary said he was born and raised in north St. Louis. It listed his survivors, including seven children and Welch’s mother. Welch was not mentioned in the obituary. “Known for his emotional depth and perceptiveness, Antoine had an extraordinary ability to forge immediate connections with people,” the obituary said. “He was a devoted family man, always ready to lend a helping hand to relatives and friends.”