The mother of a Utah boy who was fatally shot by his stepbrother stated that the admitted killer was raised in a home that valued gun safety.
Haegan Sagers, 17, was sentenced to two to fifteen years in juvenile detention and prison on July 15, months after fatally shooting his 14-year-old stepbrother Malaki Porter. Sagers, who was 16 years old at the time of the September 2024 shooting, pleaded guilty to manslaughter after initially being charged as an adult with murder.
According to courtroom reporting by local NBC affiliate KSL at the sentencing, Porter’s mother, Stormi Hass, stated that both her son and stepson were raised to value gun safety.
Hass allegedly told the court that Sagers “had no qualms about pulling the trigger and stated he wanted to harm Malaki, knowing the repercussions of what firearms can inflict on another.”
According to KSL, Hass was Sagers’ father’s live-in girlfriend, and Porter shared a home with the blended family. Hass stated in court, “Not only did I lose one child that day, but I lost both of my boys.” She still wanted Sagers to face the consequences of his actions.
According to KSL’s reporting, prosecutors did not believe Porter’s death was premeditated. However, they presented evidence from investigators that Sagers expressed a desire to harm and even kill Porter in the days leading up to the fatal shooting on September 22, 2024. Prosecutors stated that the then-16-year-old boy had “a predilection toward violent problem-solving.”
Sagers’ story also changed when investigators interviewed him after the shooting. First, Sagers told detectives that Porter came at him with the gun, which accidentally went off during the struggle. Sagers then stated that he had taken Porter’s gun, and that he believed the younger boy was about to harm him, so he stood back and pointed the gun at Porter’s left shoulder. He claimed he meant to hurt him, not kill him.
Sagers apologized in court for killing Porter, saying, “If I could tell Malaki anything, it would be how sorry I am and how we should have talked through our problems. Despite our disagreements, he was a wonderful friend and the best little brother anyone could ask for. I’m very sorry.”
