Teen sentenced for fatally shooting younger stepbrother
Share this @internewscast.com

Left: Haegan Sagers (Duchesne County Sheriff”s Office). Right: Malaki Porter (GoFundMe).

The mother of a Utah boy shot to death by his stepbrother said the admitted killer was raised in a home that valued gun safety.

Seventeen-year-old Haegan Sagers received a sentence ranging from two to 15 years in a juvenile detention and prison facility on July 15, a few months following the tragic shooting of his 14-year-old stepbrother, Malaki Porter. At the time of the incident in September 2024, Sagers was just 16 years old. He agreed to plead guilty to manslaughter, having initially faced adult charges for murder.

As reported by KSL, an NBC affiliate, during the sentencing hearing, Stormi Hass, the mother of Porter, explained that both her son and stepson had been educated on the critical importance of handling firearms safely.

Hass informed the court that Sagers showed no hesitation in using the firearm, expressing an intent to injure Malaki, fully aware of the serious consequences guns can cause.

KSL reported that Hass was the live-in girlfriend of Sagers’ father, and Porter lived with the blended family. Hass said in court, “[N]ot only did I lose one child that day, I lost both of my boys that day.” Still, she wanted Sagers to experience the consequences of his actions.

According to KSL’s reporting, prosecutors did not believe Porter’s killing was premeditated. However, they presented evidence by investigators that Sagers had expressed a desire to harm and even kill Porter in the time leading up to the fatal shooting on Sept. 22, 2024. Prosecutors said the then-16-year-old boy had “a predilection toward violent problem-solving.”

Sagers’ story also changed as investigators interviewed him following the shooting. First, Sagers told detectives that Porter came at him with the gun and it went off accidentally during a struggle. Then he said that he had taken the gun from Porter, and believing that the younger boy was going to harm him, Sagers stood back and pointed the gun at Porter’s left shoulder. He claimed that he had intended to hurt him, but not kill him.

In court, Sagers apologized for killing Porter, saying, “If I could say anything to Malaki, it would be how sorry I am, and how we should have talked through our problems. Although he and I had our issues, he was a great friend and the best little brother you could ask for. I am very sorry.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

FBI Suspects Additional Victims in Child Sex Crime Case Involving Long-Serving School Resource Officer

Authorities suspect that a Colorado school resource officer, recently charged with sexual…

Controversy Erupts as OSU Official’s Son Avoids Prison After Conviction for Violent Assault on Two High School Girls

An Oklahoma teenager, charged with the rape and assault of two high…

Individual Discovered Concealed in Stormwater Drain While Evading Arrest in NSW

A man sought for alleged domestic violence offenses was apprehended after hiding…

Homeless Individual Apprehended in Waldo for Alleged Possession of Stolen Scooters from Gainesville

In a recent development out of Waldo, Florida, a 69-year-old man, Charlie…

Texas Socialite Cites Designer Heels in Tragic Accident During First Date, Resulting in Fatality

A Texas woman has claimed that her high-priced shoes contributed to the…

Justice Served: Man Sentenced for Attempted Murder of Ex-Partner in Front of Children

Inset: Garrett S. Headrick (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The area in…

Tragic Family Murder-Suicide: Investigating the Chilling Case of a Grandfather’s Fatal Decision

Background: The Pima, Ariz., home where four family members were found dead…

Tragic Airbnb Fire Highlights Critical Need for Smoke Detectors, Lawsuit Claims

Inset: Stephen Kuehl, his wife Stella Kuehl and their three children (GoFundMe).…

Police Uncover Neglect Case: Daughter Accused of Abandoning Mother with Dementia Amid Growing Caregiver Strain

Inset: Janet Edwards (Miami Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation Center). Background: The Florida…

Father Receives Sentence for Severe Abuse of 8-Year-Old Daughter

Inset: Ian Tatro (7th Circuit Solicitor’s Office). Background: Spartanburg County Courthouse (WYFF).…

Arizona Man Tragically Ends Lives of Daughter and Grandchildren Before Taking His Own Life

In a tragic incident last week in Arizona, a man fatally shot…

Florida Teen Pleads No Contest After Faking Kidnapping and Self-Inflicted Gunshot to Maintain Deception

A 17-year-old from Florida, who concocted a story about being abducted by…