In the early morning hours of July 9, 2018, in Pontiac, Michigan, the life of 14-year-old Yaharre Stennis was tragically cut short. The young male was at a home on Willard Street when a handgun, which his 20-year-old cousin, Damari Edward Mahone, had hidden under a mattress, accidentally discharged, striking Yaharre in the chest.
Immediately following the shooting, which occurred around 2:30 a.m., Mahone rushed his younger cousin to a hospital in Pontiac.
However, the single gunshot wound proved to be fatal, and Yaharre Stennis passed away. The subsequent investigation into the tragic incident revealed a more complex situation. Mahone had reportedly asked Yaharre to move from the bed where the gun was concealed when the weapon fired. Authorities investigating the scene discovered not only the handgun responsible for the fatal shot but also a rifle, 9.9 grams of heroin, and a small quantity of marijuana.
As a result of the investigation, Damari Edward Mahone was arrested and faced a series of serious charges. These included involuntary manslaughter for the death of his cousin, as well as delivering or manufacturing a controlled substance and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. In October of 2018, Mahone entered a plea of no contest to the charges brought against him. He was subsequently sentenced to serve between six and 15 years in prison for his role in the unintentional, yet fatal, shooting of Yaharre Stennis.
