Man sentenced for fatal Youngstown shooting

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — A Campbell man convicted last month of the 2022 shooting death of a man on the North Side was sentenced Thursday to 23 years to life in prison.

Judge Maureen Sweeney handed down the sentence in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to Mehki Venable, 20, who was convicted on April 19 by a jury on a charge of murder for the Sept. 29, 2022, shooting death of Jacob Moore, 21, in the single digit block of New York Avenue.

Police said the two had met to fistfight but when Moore dropped his gun to fight, Venable shot him.

Venable claimed self-defense and testified during his trial that he felt his life was in danger when he shot Moore.

Assistant Prosecutor Patrick Fening said family members asked him to speak on their behalf, saying that Moore was a beloved son and will miss the chance to see his child grow up.

“This really broke their family,” Fening said.

Venable apologized to Moore’s family but still maintained he was acting in self-defense.

“I’m just as lost as them,” Venable said. “I’m lost. I can’t sleep. I don’t regret taking it to trial because I got to say my peace.”

Venable was sentenced to 15 years to life for the murder, which is the only sentence someone convicted of murder can receive.

He received an additional eight years on two firearm specifications, a three-year specification and a five-year specification. Defense attorney John Juhasz is appealing the imposition of the five-year specification.

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