22-year-old Macio Palacio

19-year-old Jerome Forbes

19-year-old Daniel Sims

18-year-old Stephen Gentry

17-year-old Andrew Woodring

All five face the same charges, which include:

• 1st degree murder
• attempted 1st degree murder
• shooting at an occupied vehicle
• conspiracy to commit aggravated battery

Additionally, Woodring faces an obstruction charge. Allie Saum was shot and killed on May 6th in what prosecutors allege was a case of mistaken identity. Police said that the shooting was prompted by a fight earlier in the evening. A group of people went out to seek revenge. One of them mistakenly identified a male in a pickup that was driving by as being involved in the fight. Shots were fired at the truck as it drove eastbound in the 500 block of Russell. Saum was also in the truck, and was hit in the head. Judge Rene Young heard testimony throughout the day Thursday, describing the first confrontation and the shooting that followed a few hours later. Some of those involved in the first confrontation testified, as did multiple Salina Police officers who were involved in the investigation. Neighbors who heard the shooting testified, as did the first Salina Police Officers who arrived at the scene. Saum’s boyfriend, who was driving the truck when the shots were fired, testified that they were simply driving down Russell Street when he swerved to miss a group of people who were in the street. As he continued to drive down the street shots were fired, hitting the truck and Ali. Police believe it was the defendants in the street, who were in the area looking for Stephen Gentry’s girlfriend. The group was trying to get even with her for bringing two men over to an apartment she shared with Gentry. The men, including her mother’s boyfriend Chad Bennett and his friend Anthony Darby, were came along because she claimed that Gentry had been physically abusing her. They ended up getting in a confrontation with Gentry, Daniel Sims, and Jerome Forbes. During the confrontation Gentry was punched in the face at least once, and his glasses were broken. Police believe that a couple of hours after the initial fight, Gentry, Sims, and Forbes were joined by Woodring and Polacio as they went out to seek revenge. The group mistakenly thought that Ali was Gentry’s girlfriend, and that her boyfriend was Anthony Darby from the fight, when the truck drove by and the shots were fired. The day ended with a video of police interviewing Macio Palacio being shown. In the 33 minute interview, Palacio initially claimed to know nothing about the shooting. He later said that he was there when it happened, but that it was Woodring who pulled the trigger. Palacio eventually asked for an attorney. As police got up to leave the interview room, though, he told them to stay because he wanted to talk. He was asked “even without an attorney present?” He said “yes”, and then began to confess. Palacio said that the group had gone out to seek revenge, and that he was the one pulled the trigger, at the urging of Gentry. He said that he fired 6 shots. Palacio said that he frequently carried a gun, a .45 glock, because he feared for his safety. He said that he in the past had been affiliated with a Kansas City gang, and had moved to Salina to get away from that lifestyle. Palacio said that when he fired the six shots, he never intended to hit anything, or anyone. Prior to the interview video being played, all five defense attorney’s objected. The objections were taken under advisement, but over-ruled by the judge. The preliminary hearing will continue on Friday. The Saline County Attorney’s Office plans to show about 7 more hours of video of police interviews with the defendants. At the conclusion the judge will determine if there is enough evidence to proceed to trial. Copyright © Salina Media Group, 2015.  All Rights Reserved. No part of this story or website may be reproduced without Salina Media Group’s express consent   [gallery columns="4" ids="16440,16439,16438,16437" orderby="rand"]   — ORIGINAL: Five people accused in the shooting death of a Salina South high School student back in May were in court Thursday. A preliminary hearing, which is scheduled to last two days, is underway in Saline County District Court. The case stems from the shooting death of 17-year-old Allie Saum. The defendants, each appearing with their own attorney, include:

• 22-year-old Macio Palacio
• 19-year-old Jerome Forbes
• 19-year-old Daniel Sims
• 18-year-old Stephen Gentry
• 17-year-old Andrew Woodring

All five face the same charges, which include:

• 1st degree murder
• attempted 1st degree murder
• shooting at an occupied vehicle
• conspiracy to commit aggravated battery

Additionally, Woodring faces an obstruction charge. Allie Saum was shot and killed on May 6th in what prosecutors allege was a case of mistaken identity. Police said that the shooting was prompted by a fight earlier in the evening. A group of people went out to seek revenge. One of them mistakenly identified a male in a pickup that was driving by as being involved in the fight. Shots were fired at the truck as it drove eastbound in the 500 block of Russell. Saum was also in the truck, and was hit in the head. Judge Rene Young heard testimony Thursday morning describing the first confrontation. Both Chad Bennett and Anthony Darby of Salina testified. The men testified that they went to an apartment that the daughter of Bennett’s girlfriend shared with Stephen Gentry. Bennett testified that Gentry had been physically abusing the girl, and he was going over to help her gather some things to leave. He brought along Darby, in case there was a physical confrontation in which he faced multiple people. There was a physical confrontation, as Bennett, Darby, the girl, and her mother were leaving. They encountered Gentry, and Daniel Sims outside. Bennett had a verbal confrontation with Gentry outside. He testified that Gentry ran inside the apartment building. He and Darby went back inside as well. Darby testified that he heard Gentry telling Sims to “go call Papa” as he headed to the building  He said that he did not know who “Papa” is. Back inside the building there was another confrontation. Gentry and Sims this time were joined by Jerome Forbes, who lived in the building. The confrontation became physical.  Gentry was punched in the face, and his glasses were broken. There was conflicting testimony on who punched Gentry. Bennett believes that a punch he threw hit Gentry, while Darby said he was the one who punched him. Both men testified that Forbes did not participate in the fight, but rather tried to break it up. After the fight, Bennett, his girlfriend, her daughter, and Darby all left in a pickup truck. Bennet and Darby were dropped of that their homes. Bennett lives in the 500 Block of E. Cloud Street, near where the shooting happened. He testified that he was home all evening after being dropped off. Late in the evening he saw police lights, got on the internet, and saw that there had been a shooting nearby. He did not hear any gunshots, or see anything he said. Several neighbors who live in the 500 Block of Russell Street, where the shots were fired, also testified. They told of hearing a disturbance, hearing gunshots, and seeing a car speeding away headed west toward Norton Street. The preliminary hearing is scheduled to last through Friday. At the conclusion the judge will determine if there is enough evidence to proceed to trial. Copyright © Salina Media Group, 2015.  All Rights Reserved. No part of this story or website may be reproduced without Salina Media Group’s express consent    ]]>