Brevard teen girl to be charged as adult in trooper shooting

Morgan McNeil faces charges of 2nd-degree murder

VIERA, Fla. – A 16-year-old Brevard County girl will be charged as an adult in the June 14 shooting of a Florida Highway Patrol trooper at a gas station near Cocoa, officials said Monday.

Morgan McNeil, who attends Bayside High, faces charges of second-degree murder, attempted premeditated murder of a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence.

A judge late Monday denied McNeil bond.

Investigators said McNeil and her boyfriend, Zane Terryn, 15, ran away from their Palm Bay homes and plotted to drive to Ohio and kill themselves. She was behind the wheel of a pickup at the Pilot gas station on State Road 520 when Lt. Channing Taylor approached the truck about a safety-related issue and Terryn shot him in the shoulder.

Taylor, who still has the bullet in his shoulder, testified during McNeil's bond hearing Monday.

"I waited until I thought it was safe to do so and I fired three shots, but not all at once. I fired one shot, waited a second, and fired two other shots at the vehicle in an attempt to disable the passenger," Taylor said.

Prosecutors say Taylor fatally shot Terryn while McNeil was driving off. She crashed the truck and was taken to Circles of Care, a behavior health care service.

McNeil allegedly told Terryn to "get the gun" when Taylor was approaching the vehicle, but her defense team says she didn't intend on hurting the longtime trooper.

Taylor is currently off-duty as he recovers from his injuries. 


About the Author:

Justin Warmoth joined News 6 in 2013 and is now a morning news anchor.

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