A terrible vehicle accident took the lives of two teenage passengers.
Following the accident, driver MacKenzie Shirilla was charged with the deaths of Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan.
Who was Mackenzie Shirilla’s boyfriend, Dominic Russo?
Dominic Russo, a 20-year-old Strongsville, Ohio resident, was born on September 24, 2001.
Christine Agnello and Frank Russo, the victim’s parents, outlive him.
Dominic’s older siblings include Angelo, Christopher, Christine, Nicole, Michael, and Frank.
“He was always the one who made us smile, he always had the biggest smile on his face,” his brother Frank remembered to WEWS.
At the time of his death, he was romantically involved with MacKenzie Shirilla.
How did Dominic die?
Dominic was pronounced dead at the site of a deadly car accident on July 31, 2022.
He was one of the occupants in a vehicle traveling at 100 miles per hour when it collided in the northwest neighborhood of Strongsville early Sunday morning.
Davion Flanagan, 19, was also killed in the accident.
Driver MacKenzie Shirilla was arrested for aggravated vehicular homicide on November 4 of the same year.
On August 14, 2023, Shirilla was found guilty of all 12 charges brought against her from the incident.
She was convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide, felonious assault, murder, and drug possession.
“We are just thankful that we feel justice was served today,” Davion’s mother Jaime Flanagan told WKYC.
“There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t miss our son and justice was served for him today.
“But honestly there’s no winners here. There’s no winners here today.”
She also revealed she shared an emotional moment with Dominic’s mother, Christine.
Jaime explained: “We’re just hugging each other and we’re sorry that this happened.
“We’re sad, we’re sorry, but we’re thankful. We’re thankful.”
Upon the verdict’s announcement, the judge concluded: “This was not reckless driving, this was murder.
“She had a mission and she executed it with precision. The decision was death.
“She chose a course of death and destruction that day.
“Mackenzie alone made the decision to drive the car, to drive an obscure route, a route she visited a few days before, and a route not routinely taken by her.
“Mackenzie alone chose a time to make the drive, early in the morning, when any reasonable person would expect a few people would be nearby to witness it or offer life-saving assistance.”
