Inset: Aaron McInnis (GoFundMe). Background: The area in Portland where Arvoni Hayes shot and killed Oregon dad Aaron McInnis (KPTV/YouTube).
An Oregon man has admitted to gunning down a local father after the dad tried to check on a woman who was crying in the gunman's car.
Arvoni Hayes, 25, of Portland, pleaded guilty this week to first-degree manslaughter and unlawful use of a weapon in connection with the July 2024 death of Aaron McInnis, 30.
Hayes attempted to "put as many bullets into Aaron as possible" that night after McInnis approached Hayes and the woman with him to check if she was OK upon noticing that she was crying, according to witnesses and court documents obtained by The Oregonian.
"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.
Hayes and the woman he was with were sitting in a car parked in a lot near Normandale Park in Northeast Portland that night. McInnis was dropping off a friend in the area and 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, prompting Hayes to drive 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.
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."
Hayes is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 14. Prosecutors have reportedly asked for a sentence of 18 years.
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