Saquan Evans
/ file photo
SYRACUSE (AP) -- The trial of a 21-year-old Syracuse man accused of killing a toddler has been postponed.
Federal officials say they want more time to decide whether to pursue the death penalty for Saquan Evans. The trial was slated to begin June 21.
Evans, also charged in a recent federal racketeering crackdown on street gangs on the city's south side, is accused of shooting a 20-month-old boy in the back of the head last November.
Prosecutors say Evans was out to avenge another gang-related shooting when he fired several shots into the back of a minivan where the little boy was sitting.
Evans, who has pleaded not guilty, has not yet been charged with murder under federal law. But because the fatal shooting was gang-related, authorities say he could face the death penalty.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
