ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Michael Mathis, the 3rd man who was accused following the mass shooting on Genesee Street, was on Thursday found not guilty on all counts, including three counts of first degree murder. It was the 4th trial in the case.
Mathis had spent nearly 1 1/2 years behind bars at the Monroe County Holding Center, but walked out Thursday a free man, as supporters hugged and cheered him on.
Meeting him in the street was Jalen Everett, who was acquitted in his 2nd trial earlier this year, after his initial conviction was tossed.
In August 2015, shots were fired from a car passing by a crowd of people who had just left a basketball game at the Boys and Girls Club late one summer night. Raekwon Manigault, Jonah Barley and Johnny "JR" Johnson died, while four other people were injured, and since recovered.
Mathis and Everett were accused of riding in that car with Johnny Blackshell Jr., convicted as the gunman. Blackshell is currently serving a life sentence.
Jurors reached a verdict just before 12 p.m. Thursday, after beginning deliberations Wednesday afternoon. Early Thursday morning, the jury told the judge that they were stuck, but he instructed them to continue deliberating.
Families of the victims were devastated.
"It's not the final chapter for us. We're going to live with this throughout our lives. Our children will never be brought back from where were," said Lentory Johnson, Johnson's mother.
"It's not a final chapter for us. We're going to live with this throughout our lives," said Tammy Burnett, Manigault's mother. "Our children will never be brought back from where they were."
Mayor Lovely Warren, D-Rochester, issued this statement:
While some may be disappointed in today's verdict, we must understand that each of the defendants were afforded due process, and we must respect the judicial system. My thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families of Jonah Barley, Raekwon Manigault and Johnny Johnson, and in their honor we will continue our tireless work to get illegal guns off our streets and take any and all measures available to us to reduce incidents of gun violence across our city.
The Boys & Girls Club issued this statement:
As the second anniversary of the terrible tragedy draws near, Boys & Girls Clubs of Rochester will continue to stand with the families impacted by this horrific event and will continue to provide services to the community to assist in the healing process. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Rochester will remain a safe haven for many young members of the community and neither the incident nor the verdict will change our mission in any way.