Dexter Lamont Mills, 18, waved to his family in the courtroom Wednesday afternoon as a judge read out the charge: First-degree murder.
Mills and his 16-year-old cousin are charged in connection with the shooting death of Ericka Lucas, a 56-year-old former Wake County principal and wife of the Wake Forest High School football coach.
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Lucas was shot on Aug. 29 at a home on East Nelson Avenue in Wake Forest. She died from her injuries about a week later.
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When he was arrested, Mills had a stolen gun in his possession, and he'll face charges for that, too.
Prosecutors said it is not clear whether that was the gun that fired the shot that killed Lucas.
Wake Forest police said Lucas was not the target of the shooting and was struck by gunfire meant for someone else on East Nelson Avenue. They have not commented on who might have been the target. It was not a drive-by shooting.
Officers said their investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information related to the shooting is asked to call 919-435-9610.