CINCINNATI — Darius Harris, accused of shooting and injuring three people, including two young boys, in the parking lot of a convenience store in Westwood in 2021 pleaded guilty to six charges and was sentenced to 11 years in prison Thursday.
Harris pleaded guilty to four counts of felonious assault, one count of carrying a concealed weapon and one count of having a weapon while under disability.
The shooting happened in June 2021. One of the boys shot, 8-year-old Marcellus Whitehead, who goes by MJ, remained hospitalized for 150 days after the shooting. He was finally released in November, after spending nearly two months in a medically-induced coma.
On June 12, Whitehead's mother, Marcellus Thompson, let the 8-year-old walk to the corner store with his older cousin when someone began shooting. Whitehead was caught in the crossfire and bullets hit him in the head and leg. The shooting happened at around 6:30 p.m., during daylight hours.
Also hit by bullets were a 6-year-old, an 18-year-old and Harris himself, though police never released whether there was a second shooter in the parking lot or if Harris was hit by his own bullet. Another bullet ended up in a 7-year-old's shoe. All victims eventually recovered from their injuries and were released from the hospital.
Whitehead's mother said her son has continued to deal with the injuries he sustained as a result of the shots Harris fired that day.
"My baby was 8 years old, he'll never have no chances that you had," said Thompson at Harris' sentencing on Thursday. "He won't see his youth, he won't get to play football, the season's coming up, it's crushing. I do appreciate you admitting your guilt and being an honest man and stepping up and taking responsibility. I definitely appreciate that. But ain't no apology in the world gonna change my baby's new way of living."
According to court documents, Harris was out on bond for having a weapon under disability when the shooting happened.
