A teenager who shot and killed another teen at the Easton Town Center after an argument will spend at least three years in the custody of the Department of Youth Services.
The 14-year-old, whom The Dispatch is not naming because of his age, admitted to fatally shooting 15-year-old Ra’Shawyn Carter at Easton Town Center on August 27, 2023.
The teen was 13 when the shooting occurred. Ohio law does not allow anyone under the age of 14 to be tried as an adult, regardless of the crime.
Carter and the teen had gotten into an argument at the mall around 6:10 p.m. More than thirty calls were received by the police after gunshots rang out and panic ensued.
Columbus police said a special duty officer arrived at Carter’s home within 60 seconds of the gunfire and began rendering aid, but Carter was unable to survive his injuries.
Carter had been with friends at the AMC movie theater in Easton, where tickets cost $4 for National Cinema Day, his family told The Dispatch. His family believes Carter planned to go home after the movie because the mall and many of the stores were closed at 6 p.m. on Sunday.
After the shooting, the teen who pulled the trigger fled and put the gun used in a trash can outside a restaurant. Surveillance footage from the mall showed the teen running away and hiding the gun.
After his arrest, the then 13-year-old was temporarily declared incompetent to stand trial because he did not understand the tampering with evidence charge.
Ohio law says that a juvenile defendant is only considered competent if he understands the nature of the proceedings and is able to assist in his own defense. A child is considered incompetent if he or she cannot understand the charges or the legal proceedings because of a mental illness, developmental disability, or lack of mental capacity.
Franklin County Juvenile Court records show the teen was charged with murder and tampering with evidence. As part of a plea deal in the case, the teen pleaded guilty, in what is called a plea in juvenile court, to a charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Franklin County Juvenile Judge George Leach ordered the teen to remain in the custody of the Department of Youth Services for at least three years, but the teen could be held until he turns 21 years old.
Leach also labeled the teenager as a serious juvenile offender. Should the teen commit another crime after release or have significant behavioral issues or problems while in DYS custody, prosecutors can ask a judge to impose a seven-year prison sentence with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections .
The teen was credited with serving more than a year in custody.
bbruner@gannett.com
This article originally appeared in The Columbus Dispatch: An Ohio teen who fatally shot another in Easton was sent to juvenile detention
