'A tragic case of youth killing youth': Teens sentenced in killing of NKY 14-year-old
As four teens were being sentenced Tuesday for the killing of a 14-year-old during a daytime shootout near a Covington elementary school, the judge presiding over the case told them each they're getting a "great deal."
Kenton County Circuit Judge Kathy Lape ordered Donte Rice Jr., 18, to serve 10 years in prison for firing the fatal round that killed Amani Smith during the January 2024 shootout on Decoursey Avenue.
Ja'Lontai Mason, 17, Averyon Howard, 16, and Jordan Bailey, 17, were each sentenced to eight years in prison for their roles in the killing.
Rice pleaded guilty in February to first-degree manslaughter, while the other three teens pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter. All of the teens were initially designated youthful offenders and charged in juvenile court but were indicted in adult court in July.
Lape said she isn't sure the teens' sentences fully reflect the loss of life in this case, but warned that the last juvenile to go on trial in her courtroom for a similar case was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
"Based on that, you're getting one heck of a deal," Lape said. The sentences all aligned with recommendations made by prosecutors as part of teens' plea agreements.
Prosecutors say the four teens waited at a bus stop for Smith's older brother, who had an ongoing dispute with members of the group after a fight at Holmes High School. They instead encountered Smith, who had been warned about the group lying in wait.
Investigators obtained video footage that showed the group chased Smith and they cornered him in a church parking lot, prosecutors said. They added it was Smith who first opened fire, wounding a teenage companion and Howard.
Rice, then 17, returned fire and fatally shot Smith, prosecutors said. The teen died after being taken by ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Prosecutors said Howard was also armed but did not fire any rounds. He was also treated for injuries at the UC Medical Center. On Tuesday, Assistant Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Casey Burns said the teens will no longer be legally allowed to own a firearm because of their convictions.
Burns previously said Mason was the 'main aggressor' in the dispute that culminated in the deadly shootout. Mason made threats to Smith and his older brother in the days leading up to the shooting, including during a FaceTime call when Mason said he was going to 'blow (Smith's) brains out,' the prosecutor added.
During his change of plea hearing, Mason said he was waiting at the bus stop to 'talk out the issue' with Smith's older brother – a version of events that prosecutors described as untrue. Mason ultimately admitted to chasing down the younger teen.
"This is a tragic case of youth killing youth," Lape said.
Donshay Jackson, Smith's aunt, said in court that no amount of prison time would provide closure for the teen's loved ones.
"There is no amount of anger that you should ever allow to control your life to where you take another individual's life over something so senseless," Jackson said.
"I hope that we decide to put the guns down and find other ways to work out issues that we have with each other," she added.
A former Holmes High School teacher sued the Covington Board of Education early last year, saying she raised concerns about and reported a student's "threats and scary behaviors" to the high school's leadership, yet no threat assessments were ever conducted. As a result of those reports going unaddressed, according to the lawsuit, a child was smacked in the face and Smith was fatally shot − the result of a fight between the student and the slain teen's older brother. Court records show the lawsuit is ongoing in Kenton County.
Mason, Howard and Bailey are expected to appear in court again around their 18th birthdays for a final sentencing hearing. Once a youthful offender convicted in adult court reaches the age of 18 before the end of their sentence in Kentucky, they must go before a judge to learn if they'll be sent to prison.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Teens sentenced for killing 14-year-old in Covington shootout
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