Syracuse, N.Y. – A man who fatally shot a youth football coach acted in self-defense, the District Attorney said Friday.
Shakur Wingate, 27, is accused of using an illegally possessed gun to shoot Jamar Mack Sr. around 2:30 a.m. on June 16 in Syracuse’s Valley Plaza in the 4100 block of South Salina Street, according to an indictment filed in Onondaga County Court.
Wingate is charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon but faces no homicide charges, according to the indictment. The indictment was filed on Aug. 12.
Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that a grand jury determined that Wingate acted in self-defense when he opened fire that night.
Eight rounds were detected by two ShotSpotter activations, according to Onondaga County 911 Center dispatches.
Another man, Marquis Stanley, was shot that night. Wingate is not accused of shooting Stanley, according to the indictment. Stanley survived the shooting.
Mack was the first of two people to be fatally shot in the Valley Plaza in just two months. A sports bar in the plaza is now closing as a result of the violence.
Mack coached the Salt City Renegades travel football team for the last three years. He wanted all of his players to succeed and coached them hard, a friend of Mack’s said. He was also a father of two.
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Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com.