TRENTON — A Trenton man who was mistakenly released early from county jail in December because of a court error has now been charged with a New Year’s Day shooting, police said.
Bayshawn Jennings, 21, was wrongly released Dec. 5 on a lower bail amount and, less than a month later, police say he was involved in a shootout that injured three people.
Jennings was re-arrested Feb. 1 and, at the time, no new charges had been filed against him, but police later linked him to the Jan. 1 shooting.
The shooting occurred around 3:30 p.m. on the 300 block of Centre Street.
Basean Giddens, 26, of Hamilton, one of the wounded, was previously arrested and charged. The other two men, ages 34 and 28, suffered gunshot wounds to their torso and forearm and chest, respectively, police said.
Police said Wednesday that a continuing investigation led them to identify Jennings as one of the alleged shooters. He was charged Tuesday with aggravated assault and weapons offenses.
Before his release, Jennings had been locked up since June 25, a day after he was accused of shooting three people, police said.
Bail was set at $1 million for the attempted homicide and weapons charges.
But authorities say Jennings was also charged with weapons and drugs possessions after a search of the car he was arrested in turned up three guns and 198 decks of heroin. Bail for those charges was set at $150,000, First Assistant Prosecutor Doris Galuchie said.
She said earlier this month that the Mercer County Correction Center only received Jennings’ $150,000 bail.
“They had no knowledge of the $1 million bail,” Galuchie said. “It was a snafu by the court.”
Jennings posted the bail Dec. 5 and was released.
The prosecutor’s office noticed the mistake Jan. 24 and a judge issued a bench warrant for Jennings’ arrest. He was re-arrested Feb. 1 by members of a U.S. Marshals task force and has remained in custody since.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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