Jurors weigh fate of driver who killed 2 Oakton High School students in 2022 crash

VIENNA, Va. - Jurors will enter a second round of deliberations over a recommended punishment for a Virginia man convicted of hitting and killing two teenage girls.

Usman Shahid, now 20, has been convicted of two counts of involuntary manslaughter after hitting and killing 15-year-old Leeyan Yan and 14-year-old Ada Nolasco in June 2022.

Yan, Nolasco, and a third victim who was seriously hurt but survived, were walking home from Oakton High School when Shadid sped on Blake Lane, ultimately hitting the three teenagers.

In court Thursday, ten impact statements were delivered to jurors who are now tasked with determining the punishment for Shahid. Each count carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.

Yan’a’s father told jurors his daughter was his only child. She had plans to go to college and travel after high school, he said.

Nolasco’s mother said she was two months away from turning 15 and wanted to work for the FBI one day.

Six people spoke on behalf of Shahid, including friends and family who described him as reliable and hardworking.

The final statement was delivered by Shahid, who told jurors he was apologetic to the victims’ families and his own. He called his actions "irresponsible."

The crash happened days after Shahid graduated from high school. Prosecutors noted he did not have a license at the time.

During closing arguments, a prosecutor for the Commonwealth noted the families agreed they were not asking for the jurors to recommend the maximum sentence for Shahid, but instead "something in the middle".

Jurors will return at 11 a.m. Friday.

Driver charged in crash that left 2 Oakton High School students dead found guilty

Deliberations in the case against 18-year-old Usman Shahid who struck and killed two Oakton High School girls in 2022 as they were walking home from school in Fairfax County concluded with a guilty verdict Wednesday.