Two men who killed 17-year-old Ethan Leaming last summer at LeBron James’ I Promise School in Akron were found “not guilty” of manslaughter, according to a Summit County jury.
According to cleveland.com, 20-year-old Deshawn Stafford Jr. and 19-year-old Tyler Stafford were killed when Dawn suffered a fatal blow to the head on June 2, 2022. Stafford at the crime scene.
A Summit County jury made its decision Monday. DeShawn and Tyler Stafford face two counts of manslaughter. A verdict has not yet been reached on the first count, and the jury found the Stafford brothers not guilty on the second count.
Deshawn and Taylor were also charged with aggravated assault and assault.
The Akron, Ohio, public elementary school was founded by LeBlanc as a resource for at-risk children and families.
In 2022, Leeming got into an altercation with Deshaun, Taylor and Donovon Jones after he drove by LeBron’s school and shot three men with a pellet gun.
READ: Ethan Leeming Murder Arrest Affidavit Reveals Disturbing Details from LeBron James’ ‘I Guaranteed School Parking Lot’
The three men confronted Dawn after shooting her with water pellets. Police testimony in the case said Dawn smoked large amounts of marijuana in the company of several friends and “pranked” onlookers with his pellet gun. DeShawn Stafford was the first of the three suspects to come into contact with Lee until he was joined by his brother Tyler and cousin Donovon Jones.
Details of Leeming’s fatal injuries revealed a blunt force trauma to the head, believed to have been caused after Deshawn punched Leeming, causing Leeming’s head to hit the ground fatally.
Liming’s vehicle was reportedly removed from the scene by Deshawn, Taylor and Donovan; however, the boys claimed they acted in self-defense after Liming and his friends shot at them with a pellet gun.
Additionally, DeShawn Stafford admitted that he moved the vehicle to prevent Leaming’s friend from fleeing the scene when police arrived. Stafford, his brother and cousin eventually fled the scene.
“Under Ohio law, a person can use force in self-defense or to defend another person. You can do that,” defense attorney Jon Sinn shared. “You don’t have to back away from a fight. … He met it with a punch. These boys weren’t looking for trouble. “Trouble was looking for them. “