'He's not a killer,' says cousin of Akron man convicted in drive-by shooting

One of two young men shot in a drive-by shooting told the Akron man convicted in the shooting Tuesday that he doesn’t hate him.

He said, though, that he thought Reginald Carter deserved a significant prison sentence for his part in a July 2021 shooting that nearly killed him and seriously injured his best friend.

“You should not be forgiven so easily,” said the victim, now 20, who asked that his name not be used because of safety concerns.

Several family members of Carter, though, begged Summit County Common Pleas Judge Alison McCarty to show mercy in imposing Carter’s sentence.

“I hope you make the right decision and you can see that he is not a bad person,” said Janiya Carter, Reginald’s daughter.

McCarty, however, said she thought a substantial prison sentence was warranted, especially because the shooting endangered the lives of several young children who were in the area and ran for their lives. She sentenced Carter to 22 to 26 years in prison.

“The act — shooting into a group of children — it just shocks the conscience,” McCarty said. “It’s the kind of atrocity that can happen in a time of war.”

Carter is convicted in second trial, with the first resulting in a hung jury

Police say Carter was one of at least two men who drove through a Springfield Township neighborhood, fired several gunshots into a crowd of young people on Linnway Drive, then sped away.

Two 18-year-old men were shot. Several other children as young as 9 in the area at the time weren’t injured.

More: Two 18-year-old men shot during dispute in Springfield Township

Police said they found 15 shell casings at the scene.

Carter is so far the only person charged in the shooting.

Carter was convicted July 18 by a jury of two counts of felonious assault and one count of having weapons under disability, a charge that means a person was prohibited from having a firearm. The felonious assault charges included specifications for using a firearm in a drive-by shooting, which carries an additional five-year prison sentence.

This was the second time Carter was tried, with the first resulting in a hung jury and mistrial. He plans to appeal.

Two victims were scarred for life, prosecutor says

Assistant Prosecutor Jamila Mitchell said the shooting forever changed the lives of the adults and children involved. She said one of the young men who was shot had emergency surgery and was in the hospital and then a rehabilitation center until September.

Mitchell said both victims were scarred physically and mentally. She urged McCarty to impose a significant prison sentence.

The second shooting victim said in a statement read in court that he can’t move his life arm like he can his right and has nightmares. He said he thought Carter’s sentence should be on the longer side, if not the maximum.

The mother of the other shooting victim said in a statement that the shooting ruined her family’s life, with her son who was shot mostly staying in his room and her 11-year-old daughter traumatized from witnessing the shooting. She said she quit her job to be home with her children.

“My heart is broken for my son and every child who witnessed this,” she said. “If Mr. Carter can shoot into a group of children, what else is he capable of?”

Her son said he battled anxiety and depression before this, but it got worse after the shooting. He said he is constantly looking over his shoulder and listens for the smallest of noises whenever his dog barks.

He said he doesn’t have full feeling back in his leg.

“I’ll carry this trauma with me for the rest of my life,” he said.

Carter’s family speaks on his behalf

Several of Carter’s family members, though, spoke highly of him as a family man and hard worker.

Scottie Bradford, his brother, said Reginald motivated him to get a job.

“I’m going to be here for you, 200 percent,” he told his brother.

“I’m coming back, brother,” Carter told him.

Brandy Owens, Carter’s cousin, said Carter is a good man who recently got married. She pointed to his many family members in the courtroom and said they all love and support him.

“He wasn’t raised to be the type of man he’s portrayed to be,” she said. “It’s not in his heart. He’s not a killer.”

Attorney urges judge to adopt a more lenient sentence

Walter Madison, Carter’s attorney, said prosecutors have always believed that Carter was complicit in the shooting and not the one who pulled the trigger.

Madison said Carter has been to prison twice, but had taken steps to turn his life around, including getting his GED and maintaining a steady job. He said Carter even started a 401(k).

“I implore your decision to lean more to mercy than judgment,” Madison said. “Somewhere in the middle is where I believe Mr. Carter belongs in the sentencing scheme.”

Carter, whom Madison warned to be careful about what he said because of his appeal, said he’s a peaceful man. He said he has four children and would never hurt any kids.

“Some things, I have no control over,” Carter said. “I really hate to have to go back into the system. I wish the system worked a lot better. I shouldn’t be standing here right now.”

McCarty said she’s not saying Carter is a bad man but she said good people can do bad things. In the eyes of the law, she said, it doesn’t matter if Carter was the shooter or was just involved. She also said the shooting could have been even more devastating.

“But for the grace of God, this could have been a massacre of young children,” she said.

When McCarty announced her sentence, two of Carter’s loved ones left the courtroom, disgruntled. Several others wept.

“There is some potential for redemption,” McCarty told Carter, noting that not all of his sentence is mandatory. “I do wish you well.”

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com, 330-996-3705 and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Reginald Carter gets 22-26 years in prison for drive-by shooting