A court has upheld a conviction in a mass shooting at a Coleraine gender reveal party

The Ohio Supreme Court has upheld the conviction and life sentence of one of two accused gang members who sprayed bullets into a Coleraine Township home in 2017killing a woman and injuring eight.

The unanimous opinion was released on Friday.

James Echols, 29, was convicted in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court of nearly two dozen counts, including aggravated murder, in the July 8, 2017, mass shooting at a home where a gender reveal party was being held.

Echols was sentenced in 2022 to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 41 years. He sought a new trial, arguing that the judge improperly admitted evidence that Echols tried to intimidate witnesses who might testify against him.

Before the trial, while Echols was in the Hamilton County Jail, he sent a letter to someone he knew in Columbus, naming two potential witnesses and saying one of them “must go as soon as possible.” The removal of this person will lead to the fact that the second witness will withdraw his testimony, the letter states.

Echols and the second shooter, Mykhailo Sanonwere reportedly members of the Columbus Crips gang. They were hired for filming.

The last page of Echols’ letter lists the full names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of the shooting victims who survived. He told the person in Columbus to “see what you can do with this information.”

Prison graffiti, gun gesture

During the court session, the judge allowed the letter to be used in the prosecution case. The judge also allowed prosecutors to admit other evidence related to witness intimidation — testimony that Echols made a “gun gesture” toward the witness, as well as graffiti on a prison wall that called the witness a “rat” and indicated that she was charged with murder. his $30,000 prize.

But Echols’ attorneys argued that admitting evidence of witness intimidation violated state law. Ultimately, the Supreme Court held that it was acceptable because it was appropriate and did not cause unfair harm.

“The evidence may have been biased, but not unfair,” the opinion said. “We conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting this evidence.”

As part of the investigation into the shooting, it was established that the woman who held the alleged gender reveal party was not pregnant. Her cousin Autumn Garrett was killed and eight others were injured, including three children.