The 9 mm revolver used in a February 2015 shooting death in Akron was the same weapon used in two other crimes in the month before the shooting.
The revolver was considered a “community gun,” up for grabs among a group of teenage males living in West Akron.
Ahmed Hill, 17, used the 9 mm on Feb. 14, 2015, to rob two people at a card party. The next day, the same weapon was turned on him by a friend who gunned him down in an alley.
These were details David Quarterman shared Wednesday during his testimony in the trial of Marcus Price in Summit County Common Pleas Court for Hill’s murder. Quarterman, 19, was also charged in Hill’s death but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and agreed to testify against Price.
“It was a community gun,” Quarterman said of the revolver during his testimony. “Nobody’s gun in particular.”
Price, 19, is charged with aggravated murder in the shooting death of Hill in a West Akron alley. His trial began Monday in Judge Tammy O’Brien’s courtroom and is expected to last through Friday when Price plans to take the stand.
Quarterman and Price each blame the other for Hill’s murder.
Quarterman pleaded guilty in February to complicity to commit voluntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony. Prosecutors dismissed charges of murder and tampering with evidence.
He will be sentenced May 19 for this and an unrelated robbery in January, which he said also was committed with the “community” revolver.
Police never found the weapon used in Hill’s murder. A pathologist, however, testified Wednesday that Hill’s two head wounds were consistent with those from a 9 mm and Quarterman said he saw Price shoot Hill with this weapon.
Quarterman, dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit, said Price told him the day before the shooting that he might kill Hill. He said Price had read some texts on Hill’s phone that led him to believe Hill might try to set him up. He said he didn’t think Price was serious.
“I just brushed him off,” Quarterman said. “He said that about a lot of people. I never saw him kill anybody.”
This time, though, he said Price made good on his word as he, Price and Hill were walking through an alley en route to buy marijuana. Quarterman said he was walking ahead of the other two teens when he heard a gunshot.
He said he looked back and saw Hill falling to the ground and Price holding the 9 mm revolver. As he fled, he said he heard Price fire two more shots.
Quarterman said he ran until he reached Crosby Street when he started walking. When Price caught up to him, Quarterman said he asked, “Why the F did you do that?”
“He was trying to set me up,” he said Price responded.
They went to a nearby friend’s house where Quarterman said he changed his shoes and Price changed his shoes and clothes. He said Price also washed his hands with bleach.
Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Jennie Shuki asked Quarterman if he also washed his hands with bleach. He said he did not.
“I ain’t kill nobody,” Quarterman said. “I didn’t shoot no gun.”
Quarterman said he had no reason to shoot Hill.
Defense attorney Adam VanHo questioned Quarterman about the deal he got from prosecutors in exchange for his testimony, which also included a lesser charge for his younger brother, Davaughn Quarterman, 18, his co-defendant in the January robbery.
“Your attorneys did a good job,” VanHo said.
“Yes, sir,” Quarterman responded.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmithabj and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swarsmith.