Detroit man receives 2 years in prison over accidental fatal shooting of 13-year-old sister
A Detroit man charged in the accidental shooting death of his 13-year-old sister has been sentenced after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Jay-Veon McKinney appeared in 3rd Circuit Court on Wednesday, where Judge Jeffrey G. Collins accepted the agreement and sentenced him to two years in the Michigan Department of Corrections on a felony-firearm conviction. McKinney also received three years of probation for involuntary manslaughter.
The case stems from a July 29, 2025, shooting at the Ridgeline Apartments in Canton. Police responding to the complex found 13-year-old Aymira Thomas unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the chest. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Prosecutors alleged McKinney was handling two pistols around his younger sisters when one of the firearms discharged, striking and killing Aymira. He was subsequently charged with involuntary manslaughter, felony-firearm and careless discharge causing death.
During Wednesday's sentencing hearing, Collins repeatedly questioned McKinney's decision to possess a firearm, suggesting the tragedy was the result of poor judgment and immaturity.
"What were you doing with a gun? Why do you even need a gun? ... No gun, she's still alive. Gangster? You see the result?" Collins said from the bench.
The judge later emphasized the responsibility that comes with firearm ownership.
"To own a gun requires a certain amount of maturity because it's a deadly weapon," Collins said.
As part of the plea agreement, McKinney received the mandatory two-year prison sentence tied to the felony-firearm conviction. On the involuntary manslaughter charge, he was sentenced under Michigan's Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, commonly known as HYTA.
The HYTA designation allows certain young offenders to avoid a public criminal conviction if they successfully complete court-ordered conditions, including probation. McKinney was also ordered to pay court-related fees and costs.
Before imposing the sentence, Collins described the case as a tragedy and expressed hope that McKinney uses the opportunities available through the HYTA program to mature and learn from the consequences of his actions.
The shooting drew attention across Metro Detroit when charges were announced last year. At the time, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy called Aymira's death "completely preventable" and said the allegations demonstrated the dangers of improperly handling firearms.
