TULSA, Okla. — The man accused in a deadly shooting at McLain High School nearly two years ago was sentenced to 25 years in year prison on Nov. 12.
The shooting happened in September 2022. A week after the shooting, Tulsa police issued an arrest warrant for 16-year-old N'iavien Lee Golden, who turned himself in.
The shooting left 17-year-old Terron Yarbrough dead and three people injured.
Golden entered a blind guilty plea in September 2024 for one count of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon.
2 News was at the sentencing hearing where Golden received 25 years per count but will serve them concurrently.
Inside the courtroom Golden's family and friends were shocked when District Judge Clifford Smith announced the sentence. Some of the members even left the courtroom.
However, the grandmother of Terron Yarbrough, the student killed, thinks it’s fair, leaving Golden with the possibility of a life after prison.
"I was thinking he needs to go for life, life, life, but that ain’t going to help, and this way he’ll have a way out showing that he’s going to be a man," said Yarbrough.
- Previous coverage >>> Teen accused in McLain homecoming shooting turns himself in
The First Assistant District Attorney Erik Grayless said Golden didn't make a mistake when shooting at the four.
"I hope this sends a message. I fear, unfortunately, it’s not. I wish you could put me out of business with some of these sentences, but ultimately, we are seeing this continually escalate," Grayless said.
Tulsa police said the shooting happened following a fight that broke out after the school's homecoming football game.
"Important remarks that a person their age went to war in years past to die," Grayless said. "What we’re looking at now is men these are men, making these decisions making very childish decisions."
The district subsequently canceled classes the following week and changed the school football schedule.
- Additional coverage >>> McLain students return to class following tragic shooting
He'll be eligible for probation after serving 85% of his sentence.
Yarbrough said she thinks about Terron daily. She left Golden with this message, "I forgive him, because I don’t hold harsh feelings to anybody."
Tulsa Public Schools released this statement about the ruling:
Our community has long mourned the events that took place following a 2022 football game. This was a tragic moment for our community; for our students, team members, and families at McLain; for the families of the three young men and young girl involved in the incident, and for the larger Tulsa Public Schools family. The safety of our students, staff, and school communities is our priority, and we continue to implement strong safety measures throughout the district. Our Campus Police department and District Safety Team work to constantly integrate security best practices and enhanced technology in the interest of maintaining safe and healthy school communities. Since 2022, this has resulted in increased safety measures at district sites and events, as well as deepened collaboration with law enforcement agency partners.
There is absolutely nothing more important than keeping Tulsa’s children safe and secure in our schools. We encourage everyone in our school community to continue helping to keep our school communities safe. If you see something or hear something that could jeopardize school safety, please contact our 24-hour safety hotline at 918-480-SAFE.
The district also released a letter sent to parents in September with guidelines for the safety of schools, students and teachers.
The Tulsa District Attorney's Office released this statement about the decision:
A Tulsa County judge found an 18-year-old man guilty of shooting four people, killing one, at a high school homecoming football game.
On September 30, 2022 a fight broke out at the McLain High School football game. Witnesses then saw a juvenile shoot into the crowd. Four people were shot. One of those victims was 17-year-old Terron Yarbrough, who died at the scene. The three other victims were injured, but survived. Through an investigation following the shooting, detectives determined that Ni’avien Golden, who was 16 at the time, fired the shots.
On Tuesday, Golden was sentenced after previously entering a blind plea before a Tulsa County judge. The judge found him guilty of one count of first-degree manslaughter and three counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon. The judge sentenced Golden to 25 years in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
“This shooting was no mistake,” said First Assistant District Attorney Erik Grayless. “Ni’avien Golden chose violence when he brought a gun to a high school homecoming football game. And it cost Terron Yarbrough his life. I hope this sentence will be a warning for others. Kids with guns are getting younger and younger. Something has to change.”
The judge will allow Golden to make an application for a judicial review in the future; however, he did not set a date for that review.
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