Ja’Woun De’Shun Hackett : “Teen Shooter Sentenced for Juneteenth Attack”

ASHEVILLE – A young offender admitted guilt in Buncombe County Superior Court on June 11, almost twelve months after firing shots that caused serious gunshot wounds to two teenagers aged 14 and 15 at the conclusion of Asheville’s Juneteenth Festival in Pack Square Park.

Ja’Woun De’Shun Hackett, a 17-year-old resident of Asheville, pleaded guilty to two charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon causing serious injury, one count of felony possession of a stolen firearm, and one count of possession of a handgun by a minor, as per a statement from District Attorney Todd Williams’ Office. Originally, the case was in juvenile court but was moved to Superior Court in September, while Hackett was still 16, to be tried as an adult.

At 8:51 p.m. on June 17, 2023, a young male – later identified as Hackett – wearing a red jacket, black ski mask, and a fanny pack across his chest, shot two juveniles with a two-toned silver and black pistol in Pack Square Park, in front of the Buncombe County Courthouse, the release stated. Hackett was 16 years old at the time.

Upon the shooting, Asheville Police Department officers, stationed next to the park, swiftly responded and apprehended Hackett minutes after the incident. He was found wearing the same attire described by witnesses, and a two-toned silver and black 9mm handgun was discovered in the nearby bushes.

Subsequent investigation uncovered social media videos depicting a confrontation between the victims and Hackett, with the latter seen brandishing a two-toned handgun, according to the release.

Forensic analysis of the firearm matched a weapon stolen from an unsecured vehicle in Macon County on November 11, 2022, although the DA’s Office did not specify how Hackett came into possession of the firearm. Law enforcement and community officials, who organised a gun safety event at the same park on June 7, highlighted the improper storage of firearms as a significant factor in youth gun violence escalation in Buncombe County.

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Why was a 16-year-old tried as an adult?

North Carolina was previously the sole state to automatically prosecute juveniles as adults from the age of 16. However, the enactment of the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act, or “Raise the Age,” in 2017 changed this, raising the age of criminal responsibility to 18, requiring most minors to face prosecution in juvenile court, with some exceptions.

Nevertheless, the act mandated that all 16- and 17-year-olds charged with Class A through C felonies be transferred to Superior Court after initial processing in juvenile court. When indicted, Hackett was facing a Class C felony of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury. The decision to transfer D and E felonies is at the discretion of the district attorney, as per lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina.

The period in juvenile court allows prosecutors to consider additional evidence before deciding to reduce charges or indict D and E felonies, before the juvenile is tried as an adult following an indictment or probable cause hearing, as outlined by the UNC School of Government.

However, a bill currently awaiting action from Gov. Roy Cooper, House Bill 834, also known as “Juvenile Justice Modifications,” proposes automatically placing 16- and 17-year-olds facing A through E felonies in adult court, with the option for D and E felonies to be transferred to juvenile court. Cooper has until June 16 to veto or sign the bill into law, as per N.C. ACLU spokesperson Keisha Williams.

“Prosecuting children as adults causes significant harm to young people and does nothing to address the underlying causes of youth crime,” wrote Liz Barber, N.C. ACLU’s policy and advocacy director, in a letter to Cooper urging him to veto the bill.

‘She saved your life’: Corrections officer honoured, juvenile sentenced

The juvenile victims of the June 2023 shooting sustained severe injuries, according to previous reports from Citizen Times. Kalla Hughley, a probation and parole officer with the N.C. Division of Adult Corrections, witnessed the shooting at the Juneteenth event with her family, the release disclosed.

She promptly assisted the “more seriously wounded juvenile victim,” applying a temporary tourniquet to the victim’s leg, applying pressure to the wound, and keeping the victim calm until emergency medical responders arrived. Both juveniles were subsequently taken to Mission Hospital and made a full recovery.

Hughley’s swift actions were recognised with the Bronze Medal of Honor by One Voice United for her role in saving the injured juvenile.

“Not only did she save the victims’ lives, she saved yours,” remarked visiting Superior Court Judge Joseph N. Crosswhite to Hackett in court, as per the DA’s Office.

“If it were not for Hughley’s life-saving assistance, Hackett could well have been charged and convicted of first-degree murder and might have been sentenced to life without parole,” the release added.

The Citizen Times attempted to contact Hackett’s family.

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Crosswhite sentenced Hackett to two consecutive felony sentences, the first being an active term of 20 to 36 months, or up to three years, in N.C. State Prisons. The second sentence is a three-year supervised probationary period. Should Hackett violate the terms of probation, he could face a suspended prison term of 25 to 42 months, or up to 3.5 years behind bars.

Hackett was transferred to the Foothills Correctional Institution in Morganton on June 11 and integrated into the regular prison population, as indicated by the N.C. Department of Adult Correction’s offender locator.

“I deliberated extensively on the structure of this plea, with the sincere hope that upon his release from custody, Mr. Hackett will receive the necessary structure, education, and support to avoid any future entanglement in the criminal justice system,” stated Katie Kurdys, the assistant district attorney overseeing the case.

During probation, Hackett must complete 100 hours of community service, with at least 25 hours dedicated to local organisations focused on juvenile violence intervention. Crosswhite also mandated that Hackett wear an electronic monitor for 160 days, obtain his graduate equivalency diploma, and have no contact with the victims.

Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville’s Juneteenth festival shooting: teenager sentenced as adult