By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


An arraignment was held today for a Genoa Township teen charged with a shooting death last week in Pontiac.

17-year-old Max Bastien was arraigned today on charges of second-degree murder suspect, felony firearm and carrying a concealed weapon. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office says Bastien was a passenger in a vehicle driven by a Brighton man, when he shot the 18-year-old victim in the head with a semi-automatic handgun Friday evening in a dispute over a marijuana transaction.

The victim, identified as Christopher Grant Alexander, was found dead on a sidewalk. Bastien was later arrested at his Genoa Twp. home with the assistance of the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office. The 19-year-old driver and his 17-year-old female passenger, who are both from the Brighton area, were taken in for questioning and then released pending further investigation. The weapon and less than an ounce of marijuana were found later in an abandoned vehicle.

A probable cause conference is set for October 22nd in 50th District Court in Pontiac. Bastien remains jailed without bond.