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During the Tuesday morning sentencing of Ja'hsir Kahseem Legare for the March 2, 2024 shooting death of 15-year-old Ahmeen Palmer at T.G.I Friday in Loyalsock Township, Lycoming County District Attorney took the opportunity to approach the wider issue of gang violence in the area.
"This was a situation where two different gangs fighting for the heart of town found that it had to be reckoned by two very young men, and its turned into something way beyond two gangs," Marino said.
We are working hard to make certain that the county doesn't see anymore gang violence, but for one reason or another, we have not been able to get a handle on it," the DA said.
"We are talking about young teens who think that being in a gang is something to aspire to. They lack proper guidance, and these are youths who have no concept of what life is about," he said, adding that home life often plays a critical role in leading young people to a life of crime.
"We need to come up with a much better way to deal with youths who are likely to turn to violence," Marino said.
Despite the offer of a plea agreement that saw Legare plead guilty to reduced charges of voluntary manslaughter and carrying a firearm without a license, the District Attorney hopes that this case can send a message to all those considering committing violent acts within the county.
"When you play with guns, when you get violent, when someone gets hurt, that affects not only those individuals, but their families and the community, and if you carry a gun and kill someone, you will be in trouble for the rest of your life," he said.
"And we will do our darnedest to stop this kind of violence from happening in this community again," Marino stressed.
"We still have problems with gangs, but hopefully the message gets out that we will resolve these issues whatever it takes," the District Attorney said.