2 Charged In Connection With Shooting Death Of Mercer Co. Teen

MERCER COUNTY, NJ —Two Trenton residents have been charged in connection with last month’s double shooting that resulted in the death of Shimon Nesmith Jr., Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri said Thursday.

Quashawn Hightower, 23, and Desire Knighton, 21, have been charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, multiple counts of aggravated assault and multiple weapons offenses.

Hightower and Knighton are currently incarcerated in Pennsylvania on a weapons charge, Onofri said. The prosecutor’s office will file motions to detain both defendants pending trial.

Just after 3:30 p.m. on March 1, Trenton police received a Shot Spotter activation for 11 rounds fired in 1100 block of New Willow Street.

Officers found a vehicle that had crashed into the side of 931 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the Life in the Word Outreach Ministry. The vehicle was heavily damaged and had numerous bullet holes, said Onofri.

Nesmith, 19, was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead a short time later. A 21-year-old woman suffered a gunshot wound to the face and was transported to the hospital by private vehicle.

The investigation was conducted by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the Trenton Police Department.

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