Thursday, May 28, 2009
staff report
YOUNGS- TOWN — An Austintown man who is serving a six-year prison term for the fatal shooting of a soldier faces a lawsuit by the soldier’s mother.
Debra L. Zuccaro of Boardman is the mother of Army Pvt. Randy V. Davis, 22, of Boardman and Youngstown, who was shot to death April 4, 2008.
She has sued Donnie R. Reed, 50, an inmate at the Belmont Correctional Institution in St. Clairsville.
The civil lawsuit, which says Reed negligently fired the gun, seeks more than $50,000 in damages and demands a jury trial. It was filed Wednesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on behalf of Davis’ estate. The case is assigned to Judge Lou A. D’Apolito.
Reed, who was originally charged with murder, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of reckless homicide last September, and Judge R. Scott Krichbaum immediately imposed the six-year prison term.
Davis suffered a gunshot wound to the forehead from Reed’s World War II-era .45-caliber handgun in Reed’s Burkey Road residence.
At his sentencing, Reed said he was remorseful, apologized to Davis’ family and called the shooting a “terrible accident.”
Davis asked Reed if he had any guns; Reed led Davis to a bedroom; and witnesses heard a gunshot, witnesses testified at a preliminary hearing.
Conflicting statements were made about the April 4, 2008, events.
Davis’ brother, Ron, said Reed announced after the gun discharged that he had shot Davis and asked his friends to call police.
Reed initially told police he handed Randy Davis the gun, turned away and heard gunfire, but authorities said gunshot residue tests show Reed, not Randy Davis, fired the gun.
Witnesses said there was no known animosity between Reed and Randy Davis, and the men hadn’t argued that night.