Man found guilty on all counts for Cleveland shooting that injured 9 last year

By Zenebou Sylla and Dalia Faheid, CNN

(CNN) — A 26-year-old man was found guilty of attempted murder and other charges for a shooting in downtown Cleveland that left nine people wounded about one year ago, authorities said Wednesday.

Seven men and two women ranging in age from 23 to 38 were wounded when an assailant fired on a group of people in Cleveland’s Warehouse District shortly before 2:30 a.m. on July 9, 2023.

Jaylon Jennings, after pleading no contest in court, was found guilty by a judge of every charge he faced: nine counts of attempted murder, 18 counts of felonious assault, two counts of having a weapon under disability, and one count each of grand theft and receiving stolen property, the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office in Ohio said Wednesday.

Jennings’ plea is “a firm reminder that gun violence is unacceptable” and his office will hold “violent crime offenders” accountable, Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley said in a release.

Jennings is scheduled to be sentenced at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center on September 3.

CNN has sought comment from Jennings’ attorney, Fernando Mack.

An investigation conducted by Cleveland police revealed the shooting was targeted and not random, according to the prosecutor’s office. Eight of the victims appeared to be part of a targeted group of friends, and the ninth was struck while standing nearby, officials said.

“What was supposed to be a fun night out in the heart of downtown Cleveland quickly turned into a nightmare for these nine individuals and dozens of others on West 6th Street,” O’Malley said. “It is a miracle that no one was killed, and more people were not injured. Our community continues to be plagued by gun violence.”

Jennings was arrested on July 11, 2023, and a second man was arrested on July 15 in connection with the shooting.

After Jennings and Kevin Del Valle-Salaman, 24, left a bar and lounge on West 6th Street on July 9, 2023, Jennings retrieved a firearm from Del Valle-Salaman’s car, officials said.

Jennings then waited for some of the victims to exit the bar before firing multiple shots in their direction, according to the release. Afterward, both men ran back to the vehicle and fled the scene, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Del Valle-Salaman pleaded guilty in early January to one count of tampering with evidence and one count of obstructing justice, according to the release. Del Valle-Salaman will be sentenced at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center on a later date. His attorney, Kevin Cafferkey, had no comment when reached by CNN.

The incident was one of 656 mass shootings that happened in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot, excluding the shooter.

US Rep. Shontel Brown – who represents Cleveland, part of Ohio’s 11th District – urged Congress in a statement following the shooting to do more to stem gun violence, specifically calling for universal background checks, banning assault weapons and addressing gun trafficking, among other measures.

“Gun violence is devastating Northeast Ohio and Clevelanders deserve to be safe,” Brown said last year. “This epidemic is tearing at the fabric of our communities, and it will not end without significant legislative action.”

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CNN’s Sara Smart, Joe Sutton, Dakin Andone and Ashley R. Williams contributed to this report.