Chaos in York County SC courtroom at teen’s guilty plea in NC man’s killing
Chaos erupted in a York County courtroom Wednesday as a teen who was 15 years old when a North Carolina man was killed outside a York home was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Dye’Shohn Kreps, now 17, pleaded guilty as an adult to voluntary manslaughter in the 2024 death.
Deputies removed people who left the two sides of the Moss Justice Center courtroom during the hearing. People supporting Krepps were on one side of the courtroom, while others there to show support for victim Jai’Shaun Young sat on the other side. The commotion spilled into the center aisle before police and probation officers who were already in the courtroom intervened.
The courtroom incident happened as Young’s mother was telling Judge Bill McKinnon how the fatal shooting had affected her family.
Young’s mother, Shauna Burger, said he was a “phenomenal young man” who was a father and a well-known musician who created “beats” and other music for songs before he was killed. Young was 21 .
An emotional Burger said Krepps “deserved to be dead” for what happened. Her son is “six feet deep in a coffin” while Krepps can “make new dreams,” Burger told McKinnon.
Court officers escorted several people out of the courtroom. McKinnon resumed court soon afterward and thanked law enforcement for their quick action.
Two of Young’s aunts and his sister spoke about how the family wants justice for a young man’s life cut short by gunfire.
McKinnon asked Burger if he should accept the negotiated 13-year sentence and guilty plea. Burger said the sentence was not enough for the severity of the crime but did not object to McKinnon accepting the deal.
The shooting in 2024
Krepps admitted to York city police he was there when several people approached Young outside a house and fired several shots, prosecutor Whitney Payne said. He was initially charged with murder.
Krepps turned himself in days after the shooting and guns were recovered, Payne said. Krepps admitted he was there and shot a gun, but didn’t believe he shot the victim, Payne said.
Payne told Judge McKinnon that Krepps was “certainly not the only person who was there; multiple gunshots were fired.”
Payne said York city police are continuing to investigate two years after the killing but no one else faces charges.
Guilty plea after moving from juvenile court to adult court
A South Carolina Family Court judge on Tuesday ordered Krepps be transferred to adult court after Krepps and his lawyer agreed with prosecutors he would plead guilty as an adult to manslaughter.
Krepps did not speak in court Wednesday other than to say he was guilty.
His lawyer, Rock Hill’s Shawana Burris, said it was a difficult decision to agree to have Krepps be prosecuted as an adult and plead guilty when it is her belief the actual shooter has never been arrested. She said she and her client believe he has been “singled out” while no one else faces charges.
“It should also raise serious concerns for the community as well, as the actual shooter still remains at large,” Burris told Judge McKinnon.
Krepps, who had been in a juvenile jail since arrest, will be taken to an adult prison, Burris said. He receives credit for the days since 2024 he has been in custody toward the 13-year sentence.
