A 21-year-old man from Akron, Ohio, will spend at least 15 years in prison for his part in the tragic death of a pregnant woman caught in the middle of a shootout.
On Wednesday, December 11, the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office shared that Lenier Worthy has been sentenced to 15 to 19 ½ years behind bars. Worthy had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter with a firearm and improperly handling a firearm in a vehicle. His charges stem from the death of Teyaurra Harris, a young woman whose life was cut short in the crossfire.
The heartbreaking incident happened on April 14, 2022. Worthy was standing with a group of people in Akron when a car pulled up nearby. Soon after, another car—with Harris as a passenger—drove up beside them. At some point, the driver of Harris’s car stuck his head out of the window, and that’s when everything spiraled out of control.
Someone from the first car opened fire on Worthy and his group. Believing the shots were coming from Harris’s car, Worthy and his group fired back. In the chaos, Harris, who was six weeks pregnant, was struck in the head by a bullet. She was rushed to the hospital but tragically didn’t survive.
This devastating event led to charges for six others who were involved that day. Combined, all seven people now face sentences totaling at least 130 ½ years.
Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich reflected on the tragedy, saying, “Gun violence, especially when it takes the life of someone who wasn’t even involved, hurts our entire community.”
Harris’s death is a stark reminder of how senseless violence can forever change lives in an instant, leaving families and communities to grieve the loss of loved ones.
