5 sentenced in 2020 fatal shooting of 5-year-old girl sparked by argument over $180

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Five people convicted in the 2020 shooting death of 5-year-old Kearria Addison appeared in court Friday for sentencing, where the judge heard from the little girl’s family about how her death has affected them.

Kearria was caught in the crossfire -- shot in the head -- during an argument over $180 while she sat with family members in a car outside a Northside convenience store.

The last person involved in the deadly shootout pleaded guilty Thursday, and all five -- Adrain Covington, Tom Everett Jr., Tierra Beaufort, Johnathan Hall and Christa Hall -- appeared in court, where a judge determined the following sentences.

  • Johnathan Hall was sentenced to life in prison for murder. He was sentenced to 40 years for three counts of attempted murder, and 30 years for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
  • Covington was sentenced to 28 years for second-degree murder. He received 15 concurrent years for three counts of attempted murder.
  • Everett was sentenced to 22 years for second-degree murder and three attempted murder charges. He received 15 concurrent years for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
  • Christa Hall was sentenced to 18 years for second-degree murder and 15 concurrent years for three counts of attempted murder.
  • Beaufort received 10 years for second-degree felony murder and three counts of attempted murder.

During court, Tiffany West, Kearria’s mother, shared photos of her daughter, who loved having her picture taken, and said the 5-year-old wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up.

Tiffany West said four of her daughters were in the car that day, and one of Kearria’s sisters, Paris, who was also injured in the shooting, is now in counseling and recently told a school counselor she watched her sister get shot and still sees her when she’s in class and at home.

Tiffany West said it’s been a challenge holding it together for all of her children.

Kearria’s grandfather, Samuel Byrd, was the one who took the children to the store that day -- for drinks. He said in court Friday that he’ll always regret it.

“I beat myself up because I stopped at the store to get snacks and drinks,” Byrd said. “$180? I had it in my pocket then -- and now.”

Kearria’s other grandfather, Andrew West, told the court he was upset because one person apologized for the little girl’s death, but none of the defendants did.

Of the five convicted in Kearria’s death, Johnathan Hall was the only one to go to trial. He was found guilty of first-degree murder, plus three counts of attempted second-degree murder in the case, and faces a mandatory life sentence.

The five people connected to the shooting death of 5-year-old Kearria Addison have all been found guilty.

Prosecutors said the others all admitted to playing a part Kearria’s death and pleaded guilty.

The shooting was captured on store surveillance video. Johnathan Hall and several others were seen getting out of a car seconds after pulling up and approaching a man and woman as they were leaving the store.

Johnathan Hall was then seen chasing the man, and that’s when he started firing in the man’s direction.

Kearria was inside a car parked nearby with her family members and was struck by a bullet and later died at the hospital.

In the days after the shooting, people in the community made a makeshift memorial honoring the little girl.

During the sentencing hearing Friday, Johnathan Hall’s mother started with an apology to Kearria’s family. She talked about how her son is a father of four and how 20 children in total have been affected by this.

“We wanted to reach out to say how sorry we were. I can tell you how hard it is to lose someone. Her husband was murdered. I understand your loss. I’m so deeply sorry. I pray you to forgive,” she said. “It never should have happened. Kearria should still be with her family. So should mine. This was $180, but to the person it was taken from it was so much more than that. It was so much more than that.”

Then Johnathan Hall himself took the stand.

“I know Mr. West said he was the most hurt because only one person apologized but truth of the matter we didn’t know anyone was hurt,” he said. “I didn’t run away like a coward. I’m a man. We didn’t think anyone got hurt. I still apologize.”

Hall said not a day goes by that he doesn’t wish he could take this hurt from them.

The state countered Hall’s claim that he’s not a coward, saying that when he learned a 5-year-old girl had been killed in the crossfire, instead of going to the police, he tried to leave the county.

The defense argued that Hall didn’t know at the time that a child had died.


About the Authors:

Ashley Harding joined the Channel 4 news team in March 2013. She reports for and anchors The Morning Show.

Veteran journalist and Emmy Award winning anchor