A man from Washington, D.C., has learned his fate in the shooting death of a 13-year-old boy outside the shooter’s home in 2023.
Jason Lewis, 42, was sentenced to 12½ years in prison on Friday for killing Karon Blake, according to a press release from the US Attorney’s Office.
Lewis was found guilty in August of voluntary manslaughter, assault with a dangerous weapon, and firearms charges.
Lewis, a father of a young daughter and a former employee of the Department of Parks and Recreation, apologized in a letter to the judge.
“Everything I’ve committed to in terms of providing opportunities for young people to grow, learn, and progress has felt in vain,” he wrote, according to local NBC affiliate WRC. “I wrecked so much that night.”
The shooting took place before dawn on January 7, 2023, in the 1000 block of Quincy Street, NE, in Washington, D.C. At 3:56 a.m., police responded to the scene after receiving reports of a shooting. The victim was transported to a hospital, where he died.
Lewis claimed he was in bed when he heard a noise. He grabbed his gun, a black Smith and Wesson M&P.40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and went outside, according to police.
“Lewis observed the decedent by a white vehicle (Kia Soul) parked on the north side of the street,” investigators said. “Lewis reported he yelled, ‘Hey’ to the decedent, and the decedent ran straight (‘bee-lined’) toward him in a full sprint to the front of his gate.”
Lewis told police he only fired twice, but officers discovered three bullet casings. They concluded that he fired twice at Blake and once at the Kia.
After Lewis fired his weapon, Karon exclaimed, “I’m a kid. According to the affidavit, he collapsed after saying “I’m a kid.”
During his trial, Lewis claimed it was self-defense.
“I saw a pistol in the driver’s seat. I noticed a flash and heard a bang. I fired. I assumed it was a gun. I thought I was getting shot at. In my peripheral vision, I noticed someone charging at me.
I saw someone. I feared for my own safety. I feared for my life. “I fired two shots,” he explained.
Londen Blake, the victim’s mother, spoke out following her son’s death.
“He took my baby, my firstborn,” she explained.
