People v. Watts CA1/3

BACKGROUND

On a morning in September 2020, Harlon McElevaine and Bernard VanBuren were at a house on 63rd Avenue.2 Thereafter, Watts — who was wearing red shoes — and a woman arrived in a silver Nissan. The four people congregated around McElevaine’s Mercedes SUV for approximately two hours. During that time, Watts pointed a tan handgun at the sky. At approximately 11:00 a.m., the group left the house in a Mercedes driven by McElevaine. An Instagram live video recorded at 11:00 a.m. — and posted on McElevaine’s account — shows him driving the Mercedes. VanBuren is in the passenger seat, and Watts is in the seat behind the driver. VanBuren is holding an assault-style rifle, and Watts points a tan pistol with a drum magazine at the phone. The woman, sitting next to Watts, points a black pistol with an extended magazine at the phone. At approximately 1:00 p.m., the Mercedes picked up David Keller. The Mercedes drove to the corner of West and 51st Streets and parked. Watts — still wearing red shoes — McElevaine, and Keller stood outside the Mercedes. The men approached and surrounded a compact car parked across 51st Street, in which B.Q. and T.F. were sleeping. Watts had a dark…