Teen gets 21 years for brawl shooting
Makeba Peterson TOLEDO — said she would have taken a bullet for her daughter, who was indiscriminately shot during a September 2017 street brawl.
Peterson wondered if her daughter, De’Asia Wallace, 20, was afraid or if she was calling out for her mother, Peterson read in a prepared statement Monday. Wallace later died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.
“I’ve always tried to protect her and her siblings, but I couldn’t this time and it hurts not knowing what she was thinking,” Peterson read to Emmanuel Garner, who was sentenced to 21 years in prison for killing the young woman.
Judge Gary Cook sentenced Garner, 17, Monday for the fatal shooting of Wallace and for injuring Tanaysia Young, who was 15 at the time. The teen faced up to 25 years in prison.
“The court finds taking a gun and indiscriminately shooting into a crowd of people ... cannot be tolerated,” Judge Cook said.
Last month, Garner entered Alford pleas — not admitting guilt — to felonious assault and a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter, both with firearm specifications. Charges of murder and felonious assault, with their respective firearm specifications, were dismissed.
During a large street brawl on Sept. 24, 2017, the Garner youth and other people retreated to a residence. One of the individual’s phone was still recording and a voice can be heard saying, “Shoot, shoot,” said assistant county prosecutor Frank Spryszak.
That’s when the teen shot from the porch into the crowd — striking Wallace and Young, the prosecutor said.
Christina Briggs, 35, urged the teen to shoot, Spryszak said. She is charged with inciting violence with a firearm specification and obstructing justice. Her case is pending.
Regardless, nothing will bring her daughter back, Peterson said.
“He took what can’t be replaced,” she said. “I’ll never see my daughter again.”
Judge Cook paused following Peterson’s statements, saying it was one of the best victim impact statements he’s heard. He also read from various other victim impact letters, noting the family lost four other people from gun violence within the past year.
“I’m writing this letter about the senseless death of De’Asia Wallace. It is so sad that the young people of Toledo walk around with guns and kill someone like drinking a glass of water, like it’s no big deal.” Cook read from a family member’s letter.
Garner apologized in court Monday to his family, to the Young family, and to the Wallace family. He said he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and with the wrong people. He added he hopes to better himself in prison.
Despite those words, Peterson said she doesn’t feel like she ever got an apology from Garner or his family.
“That wasn’t an apology. That was just a plea to the judge,” she said. “I’ve been coming to court for a year, I took a mental note of everything that was going on — from his family to him. His family never came to me and apologized.”
Defense attorney Ann Baronas asked the judge to consider her client’s age and maturity level.
“I think Mr. Garner was put in a place and he had the opportunity to make some extremely bad decisions which resulted in very tragic occurrences,” Baronas said. “Emmanuel certainly does regret the loss to both of the victims and their families.”