An Ohio man has been sentenced to 21 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of fatally shooting an 18-year-old who was attempting to address concerns about his younger brother being bullied.
Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Judge Patrick Dinkelacker handed down the sentence Monday to 38-year-old Domynic Elahee. The punishment follows his conviction on two counts of murder and two counts of felonious assault in connection with the May 2025 killing of Jaeden Smith.
The case drew widespread attention because prosecutors said Smith was unarmed and had gone to Elahee’s apartment only to discuss alleged bullying involving his 7-year-old brother and Elahee’s son.
According to court records and prosecutors, the confrontation unfolded on May 5, 2025, at an apartment complex on Northland Boulevard in Forest Park, a suburb north of Cincinnati. Smith arrived with his younger brother and knocked on Elahee’s door.
The conversation never happened.
Prosecutors said Elahee’s 10-year-old daughter answered the door before the situation escalated within seconds. During sentencing, prosecutors argued that Elahee “blindly shot” his handgun from inside his residence, firing across his living room and through the front doorway. The bullet struck Smith, causing critical injuries.
Neighbors who heard the gunfire called emergency services. Smith was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
“This is heartbreaking,” Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said when announcing charges in the case. “Jaeden was unarmed and attempting to have a conversation about bullying, which was the proper way to handle the situation. Now, two families’ lives are forever changed.”
Both Smith’s younger brother and Elahee’s daughter witnessed the shooting, adding another layer of trauma to an already devastating event.
During the trial, Elahee’s defense attorney argued that his client believed Smith was armed and acted in self-defense. Prosecutors challenged that claim, emphasizing that Smith carried no weapon and had approached the home to discuss concerns involving the children.
Family members described Smith’s actions as an effort to stand up for his younger brother.
“This was an act of bravery, him standing up for his little brother,” Smith’s mother said. “It was just a smooth, ‘Hey, can we talk about your child doing this to my little brother,’ and it turned deadly.”
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The victim’s mother also recalled learning of the shooting from her youngest son.
“My youngest came in screaming, red in the face,” Smith’s mother said at the time. “When he came in, he said, ‘Jaeden’s shot, he’s shot, he’s dying — call 911.'”
The sentencing hearing was marked by emotional testimony from Smith’s relatives. Several family members said they believed Elahee showed no remorse. Reports from multiple media outlets noted that the defendant appeared in court smiling, a detail that sparked criticism from those attending the hearing.
Elahee did not address the court. His attorney later explained that the smile reflected his client’s reaction to seeing family members for the first time in an extended period.
Smith’s family urged the judge to impose the harshest sentence available.
“I feel like I’ve been robbed,” the victim’s mother told the court. “I’m stuck with memories.”
Other relatives spoke about the lasting impact of Smith’s death.
“His murder was senseless, cold-hearted, cold-blooded, his life was gone too soon,” Smith’s aunt said during sentencing.
Judge Dinkelacker delivered a similar assessment while addressing Elahee directly.
“He was not given a chance,” Dinkelacker told Elahee. “You owed him that. You owed him a chance and you didn’t give him a chance.”
The judge described the shooting as a “senseless killing” before imposing the prison sentence.
A GoFundMe created in Smith’s memory describes the teenager as “the protector, the son, the brother, the hero.” His family continues to remember him as a young man who stepped forward to defend his sibling and never returned home.
