PONTIAC, Mich. – A Pontiac man has entered a plea of no contest to charges including involuntary manslaughter for the fatal shooting of his 14-year-old cousin on July 9.
Damari Edward Mahone, 20, of Pontiac, was taken into custody after the accidental shooting at a home on Willard Street, near Auburn Avenue and Paddock Street. His cousin, Yaharre Stennis, was killed about 2:30 a.m. that day.
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Deputies said someone inside the home had a gun under his mattress. Mahone asked the 14-year old to move it from the bed to another location in the home. He told detectives the gun went off accidentally, hitting the 14-year old in the chest.
Mahone is charged with one count of delivering/manufacturing a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony and involuntary manslaughter. Officials said he has no previous criminal history.
He was scheduled to go to trial in October but now will be sentenced on Oct. 16.
UPDATE: Pontiac man sentenced for 14-year-old cousin's fatal shooting
Neighbors said the victim was a student at Pontiac Middle School.