Inset: Aaron McInnis (GoFundMe). Background: The area in Portland where Arvoni Hayes shot and killed Oregon dad Aaron McInnis (KPTV/YouTube).
An Oregon man is headed to prison for gunning down a local father after the dad tried to check on a woman who was crying in the man's car.
Arvoni Hayes, 25, of Portland, was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Friday, along with three years of post-prison supervision, for the July 2024 killing of Aaron McInnis, 30.
Hayes pleaded guilty in July to first-degree manslaughter and unlawful use of a weapon.
"Aaron McInnis was a hero to the very end," said Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Eric Palmer in a press release Friday. "He did not hesitate to check on the safety of a stranger and tragically lost his life to the defendant's cowardly shooting. Today, we honor the hero and send the defendant to prison."
According to court documents and witnesses, Hayes attempted to "put as many bullets into Aaron as possible" on the night of the shooting. McInnis had approached Hayes and the woman with him to check if she was OK after noticing she was crying.
"I heard roughly 10 gunshots," a resident told local Fox affiliate KPTV a day after the shooting.
McInnis was struck by gunfire multiple times and later died at a local hospital.
"McInnis was dropping off a friend at her home near Normandale Park in Northeast Portland," the Multnomah County DA's office said in its Friday press release. "A man asked Mr. McInnis for help checking on a woman he had heard crying in a nearby car. The two men went over to see if she was okay."
Hayes and the woman he was with, who was described by police as his girlfriend, were sitting in a car parked in a lot near Normandale Park in Northeast Portland that night. McInnis told police he was worried about the safety of the woman with Hayes.
According to court documents, Hayes was "completely naked" inside the vehicle and calling the woman his "b—." McInnis asked Hayes to step out of the car to talk to him.
"The defendant [Hayes] stepped out of the car naked and eventually agreed to leave his girlfriend alone," the DA's office said. "The defendant slowly dressed himself. Suddenly, he dove back into the car and yelled at the woman in the car to drive the two of them away. Mr. McInnis ran after the car as it sped away."
Hayes stopped the car at a nearby intersection and McInnis began walking toward it, according to police. Hayes exited the vehicle and started firing at McInnis, striking him multiple times before fleeing.
"The defendant got out and began firing a gun at the victim," the DA's office said. "Mr. McInnis was hit three times and passed away at OHSU."
Police say the woman told them she feared for her life while in the car with Hayes, but it was not immediately clear why.
Cops searched for Hayes and eventually found him months later. He was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a loaded firearm in a public place.
The murder charge was dropped as part of Hayes' plea deal.
"[McInnis] was the victim of a violent homicide," a GoFundMe for McInnis' family reads. "This senseless crime committed against him has left an enormous gap for his family to try to piece together, especially his 10-year-old son, Blake."
According to his loved ones, McInnis was a father and sales representative for a local company in the Portland area.
"Aaron was an unforgettable person," the GoFundMe says. "He was a son, brother, father, and cherished friend. He touched my life amongst the lives of so many others. He had a heart of gold that never ceased supporting those in need."