By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


A preliminary exam is set next month for a Genoa Township teen on charges surrounding a shooting death last year.

17-year-old Max Bastien is charged with second-degree murder, felony firearm and carrying a concealed weapon for the October 9th incident. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office says he was a passenger in a vehicle driven by a Brighton man, when he shot 18-year-old Christopher Grant Alexander in the head with a semi-automatic handgun in a dispute over a marijuana transaction in Pontiac.

Bastien, who was arrested the following day at his Genoa Twp. home, underwent a competency exam ordered by the court in October. Court records show a preliminary exam in the case is set for July 17th in front of Oakland County District Court Judge Ronda Gross, who will decide whether there is enough evidence to send the case to trial.

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. It’s not known if they were ever charged and authorities never released their names. The weapon and less than an ounce of marijuana were found later in an abandoned vehicle.

Bastien remains jailed without bond.