CLEVELAND, OH – In a ruling that has brought a painful chapter to a close, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley announced the sentencing of Mackenzie Shirilla, 19, to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. The sentence is for her intentional act of crashing her car, resulting in the deaths of her two male passengers in Strongsville.
The incident took place on July 31, 2022, when Shirilla, who was 17 at the time, sped her Toyota Camry to 100 mph before driving it through a business sign and into the Plidco Building at the intersection of Progress Drive and Alameda Drive. Both male passengers, ages 19 and 20, were pronounced dead at the scene. Shirilla was taken to a hospital for treatment of her injuries.
“No sentence imposed will enable these families to heal from this senseless act,” expressed Prosecutor O’Malley, whose thoughts and prayers remain with the deceased’s families, Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan.
He further conveyed his hope that Shirilla will emerge from prison reformed and dedicate her life to positive contributions in the community.
The Strongsville Police Department’s investigation revealed alarming details, such as Shirilla’s right foot being fully pressed on the accelerator, with no application of the brake before the impact. The car’s Event Data Recorder, also known as the Black Box, confirmed these facts. No vehicle defects were found to have contributed to the crash, but police did find Psilocybin mushrooms and a digital scale on Shirilla.