Troy man pleads not guilty to killing his brother

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The brother of a Troy homicide victim was indicted on second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon appeared in Rensselaer County Court Wednesday morning. 21-year-old Jatae Gourrier-Lewis pleaded not guity.

Our cameras weren't allowed to record in the courtroom, but defendant Jatae Gourrier-Lewis was present in court shackled in his green prison jumpsuit. The 21-year-old was arrested in February, for allegedly shooting and killing his 16-year-old brother, Jaylen Gourrier-Lewis in the head.

There were several family members and friends in the courtroom. The defendant kept turning his head around the courtroom while the lawyers were speaking.

Rensselaer County District Attorney, Mary Pat Donnelly, says this is the first time in her career she has dealt with a case where a family has strong connections with both prosecution and defense. "We are working diligently trying to sort through what exactly occurred and why this occurred as you know, there's been a wave of violence in Troy we're looking to see the ties into all of that."

NEWS10 reached out to the defendant's attorney for a comment regarding Wednesday's court proceedings. "Today was an arraignment that was one side of the story. My client looks forward to his day in court," said Eric Galarneau, Galarneau Law.

The defendant has a previous felony conviction but lawyers couldn't disclose the specific felony. The next court date is set for May 16.