OKLAHOMA CITY — A fight inside an OKC convenience store ended in gunfire and a teen’s death. Now, a jury has decided that the shooter will spend life in prison with no chance of parole.
The DA’s office announced on Friday that an Oklahoma County jury convicted a 19-year-old Oklahoma City man of first-degree murder in the 2024 shooting death of a teenager inside a northwest Oklahoma City convenience store.
Jurors found Carnell Matheri guilty in the June 8, 2024, killing of William Jackson, 17, and recommended a sentence of life without the possibility of parole, District Attorney Vicki Behenna announced.
Evidence presented to the jury showed that Matheri followed Jackson into the store at 6221 W. Wilshire Blvd. just before 11:40 a.m. A fight broke out moments later, and Jackson was shot and killed. Officers found Jackson dead at the scene.
Matheri fled before officers arrived, investigators said. Detectives identified him as a suspect through tips submitted to Crime Stoppers and by reviewing surveillance video and data from a cellphone left at the scene. He was arrested on June 13, 2024, after a search warrant was executed at his home.
Earlier coverage
At the time of the killing, Free Press reported that Jackson’s death marked the city’s 37th homicide of 2024. In 2024, patrol officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department responded to the convenience store near Wilshire Boulevard and Northwest Expressway at 11:39 a.m. on reports of a fight and shots fired.
Officers arrived to find a person lying dead from gunshot wounds after the altercation had ended.
DA response
“This case is a heartbreaking reminder of how devastating youth gun violence can be,” Behenna said in her statement Friday. “One young man is dead, and another will now spend the rest of his life in prison. We must address the root causes of violence and find ways to prevent more young lives from being lost to senseless acts like this.”
Formal sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 12.
Behenna also praised jurors for their deliberations, commended Oklahoma City police detectives for their investigation, and credited prosecutors for their work bringing the case to trial.
Brett is the founder, and editor in chief of Oklahoma City Free Press. He continues to contribute reporting and photography to the efforts of the publication as well as leadership in developing support.
