Appeals court upholds Warren man’s conviction for a shooting incident that wounded 9-year-old girl

WARREN -- A recent ruling from the Ohio 11 District Court of Appeals upheld the conviction and sentencing of Say'Quan Parks for his involvement in a shooting incident that left a 9-year-old girl wounded by a stray bullet.

The decision, released Monday by Judge Robert J. Patton, who was joined by colleagues Judges Eugene A. Lucci and Matt Lynch, denied Parks' appeal.

Parks, 23, of Warren, was convicted and sentenced to serve 25.5 to 29.5 years in prison for his role in the incident on June 18, 2023. The charges against him included two counts of improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation, five counts of felonious assault with firearm specifications and another count of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle.

The incident unfolded at the Big Apple convenience store on Youngstown Road SE in Warren, where Parks fired a 9-millimeter handgun at another individual. The gunfire, totaling at least 23 shots, endangered multiple lives, including those in a nearby vehicle and residents of a Kenilworth Avenue SE home. The stray bullet struck the 9-year-old girl while she was asleep on a couch, causing extensive damage to her right forearm.

Parks appealed his sentence, arguing it was excessive and unreasonable. However, the appellate court found that the trial court's determination was supported by the record and within statutory guidelines. Patton, in the court's ruling, stated, "The individually imposed sentences were within the statutory guidelines. The trial court made the required findings to impose consecutive sentences. Accordingly, the appellant's sole assignment of error is without merit."

As a result of the appellate court's decision, Parks will continue to serve his sentence at the Lake Erie Correctional Institution.

Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Sanders represented the state in the appeal process.