In the cool of a late September evening in 2015, a life was tragically cut short in a parking lot in Lancaster Township, Pennsylvania. Jared Weaver, a 19-year-old male, was shot and killed on September 26, 2015, in what would be revealed as a robbery over a mere $90 worth of a substance known as 'lean,' a cough syrup-based concoction. The fatal encounter took place at the Advanced Auto Parts store located at 1003 East King Street. When police arrived at the scene, they found Weaver unresponsive; he never regained consciousness.
The investigation into Weaver's death, led by the Manheim Township Police Department, soon focused on two cousins from Delaware: Rashan A. Ross and Kareem D. Ross. Detectives utilized cellphone records and surveillance footage to piece together the events of that night. The evidence showed that the Ross cousins had been in contact with Weaver and had traveled from Delaware to the scene of the homicide, and then returned to Delaware after the shooting. A witness who was with Weaver before the incident told police that Weaver had arranged to sell 'lean' to the buyers and had measured out the substance before meeting them. The surveillance video captured two males confronting Weaver before he fell to the ground.
In October 2016, Kareem Ross, then 24, was ordered to stand trial on charges of homicide, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, and theft. His cousin, Rashan Ross, 27 at the time, was extradited from Delaware in November of that year and also faced charges of homicide, robbery, conspiracy, and theft. Both men were held at Lancaster County Prison without bail.
Ultimately, the cousins pleaded guilty to their roles in the crime. In October 2017, Rashan A. Ross, then 28, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, robbery, theft, and conspiracy. He admitted to being the one who brought the gun and shot Weaver. In exchange for his plea, he was sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison. Kareem D. Ross, then 25, pleaded guilty to robbery, conspiracy, and theft and received a prison sentence of 5¼ to 11 years. During the sentencing, Lancaster County Judge Howard Knisely remarked, 'Unfortunately in this day and age, when it comes to drug deals, somebody's got a gun.'
The aftermath of Jared Weaver's death extended to his own funeral, where a separate, violent incident occurred. On October 7, 2015, his brother, Lovelle Weaver, opened fire outside the Bethel AME Church on East Strawberry Street during the funeral service. He was convicted of aggravated assault and numerous other charges for shooting at a fleeing man and was sentenced to 18 to 44 years in prison. The judge at his sentencing condemned the act, stating it was a 'desecration of the memory of a shooting victim.'
