Las Vegas, NV – A 15-year-old boy, Sin’cere Smith (also identified in court records as Sincere Smith), was sentenced on Thursday to prison for up to 25 years for fatally shooting 17-year-old Omarion Wilson at a Las Vegas hotel last year.

Smith pleaded guilty in January to a second-degree murder charge in Wilson’s death. He entered an Alford plea, acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him without admitting guilt.

Wilson, a football player from North Las Vegas, was shot and killed on March 25, 2023, during a friend’s 18th birthday party at the Platinum Hotel and Spa. Police reported an altercation with uninvited guests who arrived wearing ski masks.

Surveillance footage captured Smith placing a firearm in a backpack before the shooting and then fleeing the scene. He was arrested in June by authorities in San Bernardino County, California.

District Judge Tierra Jones imposed the sentence agreed upon in the plea deal, ranging from eight to 25 years in prison. Smith was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution.

“His age and the circumstances were considered in the outcome,” stated Smith’s public defender, Michael Castillo.

Smith remained silent during the sentencing hearing.

Omarion’s mother, Laquinna Wilson, recounted the devastating night she learned of her son’s death. She described a frantic search for him at various hospitals.

“The pain was unbearable,” Laquinna Wilson tearfully shared. “I’d never cried so much.”

She remembered Omarion as a vibrant young man passionate about boxing and football. A senior at Legacy High School, he played middle linebacker for the school’s team. Hundreds gathered for a vigil held in his honor shortly after the shooting.

Omarion tragically never met his six-month-old daughter, born after his death.

“I’m forced to raise my granddaughter without a father,” Laquinna Wilson grieved. “I have to explain his absence, a future stolen by violence.”

Omarion had been looking forward to prom and graduation. Instead, Laquinna Wilson buried him in the outfit he planned to wear for prom.

She condemned Smith and any others involved in the shooting, highlighting the prevalence of gun violence among teenagers.

“He took an innocent life,” Laquinna Wilson said of Smith. “He took my son away because he wanted to appear tough.”

Credits: Review Journal