Parents of teen killed in deliberate 100 mph crash blast ‘Hell on wheels’ driver Mackenzie Shirilla: ‘Our son was murdered’
The parents of an Ohio teenager killed when Mackenzie Shirilla deliberately plowed her car into a building at 100 mph in an effort to kill her boyfriend say she is a “bully” who “murdered” their son.
Davion Flanagan, who got a second start in life when he and his two siblings were adopted by Jamie and Scott Flanagan after their drug-addicted parents were unable to care for them, was just 19 when he asked Shrilla for an ill-fated ride home on July 31, 2022.
Prosecutors said Shirilla, 19, instead crashed into a Strongsville building at 100 mph because she wanted to kill her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, 20, who was also a passenger.
Flanagan, who was in the backseat, and Russo were killed instantly. Shirilla survived and is now in prison. She’ll be eligible for parole in 15 years.
“Davion was such an amazing person — but she gave him no more consideration than a piece of luggage in the backseat,” Jamie Flanagan told the Daily Mail Saturday.
The Flanagans did not say much during Shirilla’s trial, but are slamming her too-light sentence for the deadly crash she has long claimed was an accident she doesn’t remember.
“Accidents happen but this was clearly not an accident,” Scott Flanagan said.
“In the beginning, we thought maybe OK, but as the picture started to be painted, it was clear — our son was murdered.”
Shirilla was convicted of double murder but is serving her sentences for each charge at the same time, meaning she’ll be eligible for parole when she is in her early 30s.
“We have strong faith and Davion did as well,” Jamie Flanagan told the outlet. “We are working on forgiveness but the complete lack of empathy or regard for his life is just shocking.
“We don’t want vengeance, but it’s also very difficult to forgive someone in denial. And she is very much in denial.”
While Shirilla has steadfastly claimed the wreck was an accident, surveillance footage shows her driving calmly in control of her car through various streets before she gunned it into the building.
The teen and Russo were fighting and not getting along well at the time of the crash, a fact unbeknownst to the Flanagans.
While Davion Flanagan was beloved at school, Shirilla had a reputation for being a bully, his grieving parents said, describing her as “someone who would be interested in demeaning people and humiliating them.”
“She would tell people they should commit suicide when they were depressed. She was a narcissistic, not nice person,” Scott Flanagan said, citing remarks from his middle daughter who knew the killer teen.
After the crash, the Flanagans said they received flowers from her family.
Shirilla also sent a condolence text to Jamie Flanagan and one of her daughters but again insisted the crash was an accident.
The family said they want her to admit what she did and apologize.
“Just admit what you did and apologize for what you did, then start to change,” Scott Flanagan implored. “We are people of faith. We’re hoping that Mackenzie has a change of heart and becomes a better person.
“But the one we’ve seen up until this point is self-centered, selfish and narcissistic.”
The Flanagans now want to keep Davion’s legacy alive by setting up a memorial scholarship fund for the barber school he’d hoped to attend.
“Davion would really enjoy this being his legacy. A chance to help others. A lot of time in the barber college, it’s kids from disadvantaged situations, not always but they usually need financial assistance to be able to go and follow their dreams,” Scott Flanagan told the Daily Mail.
“To be able to help someone. Davion said we were his second chance, so to be able to give someone else the chance to pursue their dreams, he would love that.”
