Columbus man sentenced for fatal East Side shooting he maintains was self-defense
A Columbus man faces 14 years behind bars for fatally shooting another man in 2020 on the East Side.
Shannon Weaver, 23, of the East Side, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter with a firearm specification on Monday for killing Aljuanta Counts, 24, also of the East Side, in early July 2020. In exchange for his plea, Franklin County prosecutors dropped a murder charge against Weaver that could have meant life in prison if convicted at trial.
Weaver maintained that he shot Counts in self-defense because he thought Counts had a gun (no gun was found at the scene) and was threatening him. Weaver could have argued at trial that he stood his ground, but chose to take a plea deal instead.
"The indictment was felony murder. My client had to make a decision about risk. If he won at trial, he walked out of the courtroom free. If he lost, it was a life sentence with no opportunity for parole for 18 years," said Mark Collins, Weaver’s attorney.
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Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Richard Frye sentenced Weaver to a minimum of 14 years in prison. As required by the Reagan Tokes Act, Frye gave Weaver an indefinite sentence. Weaver could serve up to five years and six months of additional time if the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction determines he is a continued threat to society.
Weaver is eligible for early judicial release after eight years and six months behind bars.
Collins said Weaver feared for his life that night when Counts followed Weaver home from work and threatened him. Weaver, a lawful gun owner, believed Counts was reaching for a gun and chose to shoot first to protect himself, Collins said.
Weaver fired seven shots and then ran because he feared Counts would shoot back, Collins said.
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Police found Counts in the 3100 block of Ruhl Avenue near the Africentric Early College campus after officers were called at 12:12 a.m. on a report of a man lying in the street. Counts had several gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital, where he died at 1:13 a.m., police said.
Weaver eventually turned himself in. No gun was found at the scene to indicate that Counts was armed.
"This was a tragic situation for both sides," Collins said. "Weaver told Mr. Counts' family (at the sentencing) how sad he was for their loss."
Franklin County assistant prosecutor Dan Cable, one of the prosecutors on the case, did not return a call Tuesday requesting comment in time for print.
Jordan Laird is a criminal justice reporter at the Columbus Dispatch. You can reach her at jlaird@dispatch.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @LairdWrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus man says killing was in self-defense but accepts plea, prison
