DALLAS — Editor’s note: The above video aired in previous broadcast on the 16-year-old suspect’s hearing.
A 16-year-old accused of fatally shooting a father of five in a Costco parking lot in November 2021 will be tried as an adult, a Dallas County judge ruled Friday.
The victim’s family has been calling for the ruling and for the teen to serve life in prison in the murder of Ali Elbanna for months.
After the ruling, Elbanna’s family hugged and declared it a small victory.
During a July 8 hearing to determine if 16-year-old Camron Range should be tried as an adult, it was revealed the teen and three adults went on a crime spree on Nov. 15, 2021. That spree ended with Elbanna’s murder the next day outside of a North Dallas Costco, detectives said.
In court, detectives said the day before Elbanna was killed Range, who was wearing an ankle monitor, stole a truck in Highland Park. The teen and the three adult suspects used that truck to rob two students outside South Oak High School, and also attempted to carjack a woman at NorthPark Center.
Detectives said about 10 minutes later, they showed up at Costco and confronted Elbanna in an attempt to rob him.
A homicide detective testified that the suspect "pointed a gun at the victim and said, 'Give me everything'" and that "the victim said 'no' and was shot."
Prosecutors said that the teen had a long criminal history and was on probation prior to shooting and killing Elbanna.
“He had an ankle monitor on his leg at the time he killed my husband that wasn’t working, that wasn’t charged. How could this happen?” said Stephanie Elbanna, wife.
Elbanna’s family said the case has revealed problems in the juvenile justice system in Dallas County.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Range was on probation for burglary when he was released just two weeks before Elbanna’s murder -- because there was no room for him in a juvenile facility.
"It is my firm belief that he not be released at that time, my father would still be here today,” Iman Elbanna.
After the defense presented their case today, Dallas County Judge Cheryl Shannon reiterated that Range has been in and out of juvenile detention since he was 12 years old.
During her ruling, Shannon said the chances of rehabilitation were unlikely and that Range should be tried as an adult for the three alleged robberies and capital murder.
"Judge Shannon did the right thing and agreed that the juvenile detention system cannot handle this person,” said Iman Elbanna.
Range’s defense attorney was hoping to keep him in a juvenile prison if convicted, where he would have a chance of rehabilitation.
But, the judge says Range has shown no empathy for any of his victims and believes he poses a continued threat to the community.
"We need to send a message to juveniles and people across the world that we will not allow for this to stand,” said Stephanie Elbanna.
Here's the Elbanna family's full statement:
“We are incredibly grateful that Judge Shannon decided today to certify the individual who shot and killed our father as an adult. This is a small victory and just the beginning of our push for justice for our father and our main goal of making sure this individual can’t hurt anyone else like he hurt our family.”