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Staff Photo / Ed Runyan Kasean Wilkerson, right, before Judge Sandra Stabile Harwood on Thursday at Trumbull County Juvenile Court.
WARREN – Kasean R. Wilkerson, 16, formerly of Youngstown, will be held at an Ohio Department of Youth Services facility until the age of 21 for a drive-by shooting on March 31 at 2 a.m. morning at a South Side home, where a 13-year-old girl was shot in the leg while in bed.
This shooting, on East Avondale Avenue near Taft Primary School, caused great frustration in the town and prompted marches and the creation of a video by students and school staff on the theme “We are peace – we are Taft”. The video called on the community to “please stop the violence”.
Wilkerson, now of Niles, pleaded guilty in Mahoning County Juvenile Court in July to felony assault and discharging a gun in or at a home.
But Ohio law requires a minor to be transferred to the county they live in for sentencing, which is why Judge Sandra Stabile Harwood of the Trumbull County Common Plea Court handed down the sentence. .
Wilkerson and his family moved to Niles last year to avoid the conflicts he had when living in Youngstown, his lawyer, John Shultz, told Stabile Harwood.
Shultz said Wilkerson was the victim “in some instances” at Youngstown. “There was an ongoing dispute. His mother thought it would be wise to move to Niles. Sadly, this grudge and argument continued, and that’s what resulted in this action. He literally returned to Youngstown, unfortunately, even for a score. “
Of his client, Shultz said, “At this age, some people just don’t realize the seriousness of their actions, whether intentional or not. “
Shultz noted that Wilkerson had received mental health counseling earlier and called for that counseling to continue. Stabile Harwood agreed that she would recommend that he get such advice.
‘TAKEN A TURN’
The judge, who lives in Niles, then asked the accused if she recalled correctly that he had played football for Niles at one point. He replied that he had been the freshman quarterback.
She said it appeared he was “engaged and involved and doing well” and that court staff “saw real potential”.
Wilkerson agreed, but said, “It just took a turn. ”
He then apologized to the victim and his family, none of whom attended the hearing. “She didn’t deserve this,” he said. “I regret everything I have done.”
The judge sentenced him to a minimum of seven years in a public juvenile facility, but not after the age of 21. She also sentenced him to 14 years as a serious young offender, meaning he could serve an additional sentence in an adult prison after the age of 21 if he does not complete his juvenile sentence. with success.
Stanley Elkins, deputy county attorney, said that means, for example, that if Wilkerson only successfully completes two years in a state juvenile facility, he will have to serve an additional 12 years in an adult prison.
CASE FACTS
Youngstown Police made arrests shortly after the shooting. Wilkerson later admitted to being the one who fired the gun, according to a police report.
Youngstown Police said an officer in the area learned that the vehicle involved in the shooting was a white sport utility vehicle with stripes. The officer spotted a white Chevrolet Trailblazer at a stop sign on Dickson Street and South Avenue.
The vehicle attempted to enter Interstate 680 but stopped after the officer got behind the vehicle with lights and sirens.
The other minor in the case, Xavier Hile, 16, also from Niles, faces the same charges as Wilkerson. He was also due to hand down his sentence on Thursday, but the hearing was postponed and no new hearing date was available.
Police said Hile was driving the car, Jana M. Cox, 25, from York Avenue in Warren, was in the front passenger seat and Wilkerson was in the back seat. All three were escorted out of the vehicle. An officer closed a passenger door and heard the sound of a shell casing hitting the ground and found it next to the door.
Officers also found a loaded handgun under the driver’s seat and two other cartridge cases outside the car.
Following a trial in the Mahoning County Common Plea Court, Cox was found guilty of obstructing justice and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle. She is to be sentenced at 10:30 am on September 16 in Mahoning County.
After the hearing, Shultz said the girl who was shot was not the intended victim, at least as far as Wilkerson was concerned.
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