In the early morning hours of August 21, 2017, the life of 9-year-old Shaleek Carrears was tragically cut short inside his family's home in Syracuse, New York. The young boy, an honor student at Porter School who loved to dance and do flips, was fatally shot. The incident unfolded at approximately 2:30 a.m. when his 10-year-old brother found a handgun and, believing it to be a toy, accidentally discharged the weapon.
Shaleek's father, Jermaine Moore, was in the front yard when he heard the single shot and the subsequent cries for help from Shaleek's mother, Jennifer Carrears.
The investigation that followed revealed that the gun, a Glock 9 mm handgun, had been stolen from a Syracuse firefighter's vehicle the previous year. Prosecutors determined that no charges would be filed against Shaleek's brother due to the accidental nature of the shooting. The focus of the legal proceedings then shifted to the boys' father, 44-year-old Jermaine Moore. In September 2017, Moore was arrested and charged with illegally possessing the handgun.
Ultimately, Jermaine Moore pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and illegal weapon possession for leaving a loaded firearm where his children could access it. By accepting the plea deal, he avoided a potential 15-year sentence and was instead sentenced to 3 ½ years in prison. The tragic event left a family and a community in mourning for a young boy who dreamed of being a ninja to protect his father.
