EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — On Friday, a 30-year-old man was sentenced 58 years in connection to the fatal shooting of a man in downtown Alton in 2020.
Charlton K. Merchant, 30, received a 55-year sentence for first-degree murder and three-year sentence for being a felon in possession of a weapon. These sentences will be served consecutively.
Merchant fatally shot 34-year-old Terence Hicks during a dispute in Alton on Oct. 11, 2020, according to the office of Madison County State's Attorney Tom Haine. Officers patrolling the downtown area when they heard gunshots and responded almost immediately to the 300 block of State Street, where they found Hicks with a gunshot wound. He was taken to an area hospital, where he later died.
According to a press release from Haine on Friday, "Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Pat Carl asked the judge [during the sentencing hearing] to consider that Merchant had been bragging on social media about having a gun, posting photographs of the weapon. She also noted that he had been to prison before, for a sexual assault in 2008."
“This was a senseless crime that took an innocent life and terrified the community,” Haine said in a Friday release announcing the charges. “At least with this conviction another violent criminal is taken off the streets so he can’t harm others. We also hope it gives some closure to the family of T.J. Hicks, who have faced such loss. They were present in the courtroom throughout the trial, and we continue to pray for their healing.”
Merchant claimed that he fired at Hicks in self-defense.
“Stellar work by the Alton Police Department allowed our prosecutors to cut through the lies and reveal the truth: the defendant had absolutely no reason to shoot T.J. Hicks, and refused to take any responsibility to the very end,” Haine said.
Resources for crime victims:
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
The Crime Victim Center of St. Louis has multiple programs to support victims of crime. Crime Victim Center’s programs range from direct services to crime victims as well as “creating awareness and change within the systems they encounter.”
Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence."
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has the Neighborhood Healing Network, which serves people who have experienced crime, violence or been the victim of an incident that caused trauma.
Cure Violence is an international organization that is present in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to deescalate violent situations within their own communities.
