Second suspect arrested in shooting of Lexington waste management worker
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- Lexington police arrested Jermaine Shanks, 20, as second suspect in Sept. 18 shooting.
- Authorities charged Shanks with assault, handgun possession and wanton endangerment.
- Victim Stephon Vanzant suffered life-threatening head wounds; no medical update given.
A second suspect accused of shooting and injuring a Lexington waste management worker has been arrested, according to city police.
Jermaine Shanks, 20, was booked into the Fayette County Detention Center on Thursday. He is charged with first-degree assault, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, first-degree criminal mischief and tampering with physical evidence.
Shanks was one of two suspects accused of shooting Stephon Vanzant Sept. 18 near Winburn Drive and McCullough Drive. The other suspect, 20-year-old Jon’Tay Mattingly, was arrested one day after the shooting and faces the same charges.
Vanzant was on duty and taking a break when he was shot in the head, city spokesperson Susan Straub previously said. He was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, and no updates on his medical condition have been provided since the shooting.
Shanks and Mattingly fled through Martin Luther King Park and hid inside a home for about 40 minutes, according to court documents. A cooperating witness told investigators that Shanks and Mattingly hid in the house, confessed to shooting Vanzant and disposed of blue latex gloves that were used in the shooting.
A vehicle and a home were also damaged in the shooting. Court documents say bullets passed through the walls of the home, which was occupied by three people, including two children.
Shanks is being held on a $75,000 bond, according to court documents. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Fayette District Court on Friday.
Mattingly’s case was sent to a grand jury Sept. 29, according to court records. He is also being held at the Fayette County Jail on a $75,000 bond.
In 2024, Shanks was charged with first-degree robbery after he stole $40 from a juvenile at the Winburn Mini-Mart while armed with a gun. Court records indicate he later pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted robbery and was sentenced to two years of supervised probation.
