KC Reporter

A federal grand jury in Springfield, Missouri, has indicted an 18-year-old man on charges related to the illegal possession of a stolen firearm. Jayden Isaac Simmonds faces one count of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance while possessing a firearm. The indictment replaces a previous federal criminal complaint filed against him on December 20, 2024.

The case began when Simmonds’s father handed over a Smith & Wesson 10mm semi-automatic pistol to the Springfield Police Department on August 23, 2024. Investigators discovered that the weapon had been stolen during a motor vehicle theft in December 2023 and taken from Simmonds while he was asleep.

Ballistic tests conducted by investigators linked the firearm to two separate shootings in Springfield in August 2024. On August 4, unknown suspects fired at an occupied residence on West Brower Street, striking it with at least 17 rounds but causing no injuries. A second incident occurred on August 14 on North Prospect Avenue during a disturbance that resulted in shots being fired at another residence without reported injuries.

Simmonds reportedly admitted to investigators that he had been using marijuana daily since age eleven or twelve and was addicted to opioids and fentanyl.

“The charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt,” reads part of the official statement regarding the case. “Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan is prosecuting the case with investigations carried out by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Christian County Sheriff's Department, and Springfield Police Department.