Background: News footage of the scene in Pontiac, Mich., after Ariah Jackson was killed on March 18, 2022 (WDIV). Inset (center): Ariah Jackson (Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home). Insets (left and right): Jajuan McDonald and Justin Rouser (Oakland County Sheriff's Office).
Two Michigan men who were teenagers when they killed a 7-year-old girl in a drive-by shooting now face life in prison.
Jajuan McDonald, 21, and Justin Rouser, 23, were found guilty of first-degree murder by a jury on Wednesday, years after they were charged in connection with the fatal shooting of 7-year-old Ariah Jackson. McDonald and Rouser, who were 17 and 19 years old when they committed the crime, now face life sentences for taking the life of the little girl who was on her way home from school.
According to reporting on the case by local NBC affiliate WDIV, Ariah's mother was waiting in her car at a bus stop in Pontiac during the late afternoon of March 18, 2022. After the bus dropped off Ariah, her sister, and her two cousins, Ariah's mother started driving them home. She quickly noticed that she was being followed by an orange SUV carrying two men.
Behind the wheel was Rouser, who drove the SUV while McDonald opened fire on Ariah's mother and the four elementary school-age girls. McDonald fired eight times, grazing Ariah's mother and hitting Ariah in the back of the head. The other girls were not hit.
WDIV reported that Ariah's father rushed outside and removed Ariah from the car to take her into the house before Oakland County deputies arrived and got the girl to the hospital.
Ariah died not long after she arrived.
Detectives tracked down Rouser shortly after the shooting and arrested him while he attempted to flee from police. McDonald turned himself in to police on March 28, 2022. Both of them were charged with first-degree murder, four counts of attempted murder, and five counts of felony firearm. They were both found guilty on all charges.
Sentencing hearings were scheduled for March 3 and March 10.
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