Jaden Smith was an 18-year-old who loved gaming and spending time with his family, especially his 7-year-old brother. A Black young man who worked in the kitchens of local retirement communities, Jaden had plans to get his GED and become a mechanic. His mother, Shayla Haggard, later said his younger brother saw him as a hero.
That protective instinct led Jaden to a neighbor’s apartment in Forest Park, Ohio, on the evening of May 5, 2025.
His mother had asked him to go and “smooth things out” after his younger brother told her he was being bullied by an 11-year-old boy who lived nearby. Jaden took his little brother with him and knocked on the door of the other boy’s apartment in the 700 block of Northland Boulevard. The door was answered by a 10-year-old girl. Moments later, her father, 38-year-old Domynic Elahee, appeared with a handgun. Prosecutors said Elahee then fired a single, blind shot from across his living room and through the open doorway, striking Jaden in the chest as both children watched.
Wounded, Jaden ran back to his own apartment and collapsed, telling his mother that he loved her and his brother and that he was dying. Emergency responders transported him to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Neighbors had called 911 after hearing a loud “pop” and screaming; one caller reported that the bullet had passed through their front door.
Police arrested Domynic Elahee at the scene. His attorney argued that the shooting was an act of self-defense, claiming Elahee believed Jaden was armed. However, investigators found no weapon on Jaden or at the scene. During Elahee’s initial court appearance, a violent brawl broke out in the courtroom among attendees, forcing deputies to intervene and suspend the hearing. Elahee was subsequently indicted on two counts of murder and two counts of felonious assault.
On May 12, 2026, a Hamilton County jury found Domynic Elahee guilty on all counts. At his sentencing on June 1, 2026, Jaden’s mother spoke of being “stuck with memories” and visiting her son at a gravesite. Judge Patrick Dinkelacker called the shooting a “senseless killing” before sentencing Elahee to 21 years to life in prison. The case was closed as of June 2026.
