An acknowledged killer was brought up in a family that placed a high importance on gun safety, according to the mother of a Utah kid who was killed by his stepbrother who shot him to death.
On July 15, several months after he was found guilty of shooting and killing his stepbrother Malaki Porter, who was 14 years old, Haegan Sagers, who is 17 years old, was sentenced to two to fifteen years in juvenile detention and jail. Sagers, who was only 16 years old at the time of the shooting that occurred in September 2024, entered a guilty plea to the charge of manslaughter after he was initially charged with that of murder as an adult.
During the sentencing, Stormi Hass, Porter’s mother, was quoted as saying that both her son and stepson were brought up to understand the significance of gun safety. This information was reported by local news outlets in the courtroom.
According to the statements made by Hass to the court, Sagers “had no qualms about pulling the trigger and stated he wanted to harm Malaki, knowing the repercussions of what firearms can inflict on another.”
According to KSL, Porter was a member of the blended family, while Hass was reported to be Sagers’ father’s live-in girlfriend. “Not only did I lose one child that day, but I lost both of my boys that day,” Hass stated in court. “It was a horrific day.” In spite of this, she desired for Sagers to be subjected to the repercussions of his conduct.
According to the reporting of KSL, the prosecution did not believe that Porter’s murder was the result of premeditation. On the other hand, they provided information that detectives had gathered showing Sagers had stated a wish to cause harm to Porter and even murder him in the days preceding up to the fatal shooting that occurred on September 22, 2024. According to the prosecution, the child, who was 16 years old at the time, had “a predilection toward violent problem-solving.”
Following the incident, detectives conducted interviews with Sagers, which resulted in a shift in his statement. In the beginning, Sagers stated to the investigators that Porter had approached him with the gun, and that it had inadvertently gone off during the fight. Sagers then stated that he had seized the rifle from Porter, and because he was under the impression that the younger lad was going to cause him damage, he retreated and aimed the revolver toward Porter’s left shoulder. It was his assertion that he had wanted to cause him pain, but not to kill him.
In the courtroom, Sagers expressed his regret for the death of Porter by saying, “If I could say anything to Malaki, it would be how sorry I am, and how we should have talked through our problems rather than killing each other.” In spite of the fact that we had our differences, he was a wonderful buddy and the most wonderful younger brother that anyone could ask for. My sincere apologies…”
