Shooter convicted of teen's death

This week's sentencing hearing in a manslaughter case was more about the tragic loss of 15-year-old Ericolis Kelley, Jr. than about sending another young man to prison.

During the hearing in Island County Superior Court, family members and friends spoke of their memories of Kelley, an Oak Harbor teenager who had so much promise. His mother, Le'Andra Kelley, called him “a gentle soul who loved and cared for so many people.”

“You took his life, but you will never take his memory,” she said. “He will live on in the hearts and souls of those you left behind to mourn his loss. »

Eric Keo, 19, pleaded guilty at a hearing Tuesday to second-degree manslaughter, third-degree assault and possession of a stolen firearm. The guilty pleas were part of a “comprehensive resolution” that settled two separate cases.

As part of the plea bargain, the prosecutor and defense recommended a sentence of seven years and four months in prison. The recommendation includes gun enhancements that automatically add years to the sentence.

Judge Christon Skinner accepted the recommendation and imposed it.

Keo shot and killed Kelley during a gathering with friends at an Oak Harbor home on August 30, 2022. Witnesses said he was recklessly playing with the handgun and also pointed it at another boy. He asked Kelley if he believed in God before pulling the trigger.

One of the young men at the party attempted to save the injured teenager by driving him to get help and calling an ambulance. Kelley, however, died shortly afterward.

On March 10, 2023, Oak Harbor police arrested Keo after finding a stolen handgun in his waistband.

Several family members and friends described how losing Kelley changed their lives and still haunts them.

Ericolis Kelley's aunt, Latoya Surat, said the tragedy left her lost, helpless and disconnected from the world. She described how she took care of him and his daughter when they were just babies, forging an unbreakable bond.

“But whatever happens, I remember that he is not here,” she said, “it reminded me that there will be no more coming home, that there will be no prom, no more last-minute Friday night football.”

Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks and Craig Platt, Keo's attorney, called the fatal shooting a tragic but unintentional act.

“A young man on the cusp of adulthood had his life stolen from him because of a senseless and reckless act,” Banks said. “A family had a brilliant young man taken from them.”

Platt said his client is essentially a child who made a horrible mistake for which he takes responsibility.

“When we start talking about what happened, he bursts into tears, his face turns to ash and he looks at the ground. And he stays silent,” Platt said. “I mean, he's clearly devastated by what happened here and he regrets it immensely.”

Platt said Keo was too emotional to speak but wanted to apologize for his actions.

In sentencing Keo, the judge also noted that this was not an intentional shooting, but he characterized Keo as an immature person who handled a dangerous weapon in a reckless manner.

“The court is aware of how many people have been affected by this event,” he said, “and, as one person said, the suffering will never go away. »