MARION COUNTY — Bail was set this morning at $1 million for a 27-year-old Mulbery Grove man charged with the early Christmas morning shooting death of a man in the parking lot of a Centralia bar.

Demetrice Lockett was formally charged this morning in Marion County Court with two counts First Degree murder, in connection with the death of 26-year-old Leroy Roberson of Mt. Vernon.

One count against Lockett alleges his actions were committed with the intent to kill or injure and the other count alleged his actions were committed knowing there was a strong probability his actions would kill or injure.

Judge Michael McHaney had previously found probable cause in the case and appointed Lockett a public defender to represent him in the case.

McHaney advised Lockett of the charges against him and scheduled a January 19 preliminary hearing in the case.

According to Centralia police, Lockett fled from the scene after he allegedly shot Roberson early Christmas morning in the parking lot of Party Liquors Bar on North Elm in Centralia.

During the response to the shooting, an Illinois State Trooper in the vicinity and located and apprehended locket as he was fleeing on foot.

According to police, Lockett dropped a gun believed used in the shooting before he was apprehended, but the firearm was later located.

A Saturday afternoon autopsy conducted on Roberson confirmed he died instantly of a single gunshot that struck him in the lower left back with an upward trajectory.

Marion County Coroner Troy Cannon says the bullet traveled through several vital organs including his heart and according to the postmortem conducted Saturday at the Madison County Morgue in Wood River, it appears Roberson died instantly.