Deverain Word

A teenager from Bellefontaine Neighbors shot and killed a boy after he saw someone in a mask and "got spooked" in November while sitting in a car in Ferguson, according to court documents. Coreyon Thompson, 18, was certified this week to stand trial as an adult in the slaying. Thompson was 17 at the time of the killing and has been held by juvenile authorities. St. Louis County prosecutors on Monday charged Thompson with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Bond was set at $500,000. The St. Louis County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as 15-year-old Deverain Word. He was fatally shot outside his home in the 9800 block of Vickie Place in Ferguson on Nov. 1. Deverain and Thompson were schoolmates at Riverview Gardens High School. Court files that emerged from the Family Court hearing describe for the first time what happened on the day of the killing. According to the court records, Thompson was waiting in the backseat of a car as his friends gathered items from inside a home. As he sat in the car, Thompson "got spooked" when he saw someone walking nearby with a mask and wearing all black clothing. He was afraid and chambered a round in his firearm, court documents said. The victim, Deverain, then came out of the house and approached the backseat of the vehicle Thompson was in. Thompson shot Deverain from inside the vehicle, authorities said. Deverain was not armed and did not have a mask on, the court documents said. The shooting was in front of Deverain's home. Deverain was a 10th grade honor student at Riverview Gardens, according to his obituary. "He had a passion for basketball, loved playing video games, and could always be counted on to crack a good joke and make those around him smile," his obituary said.