Two men from Michigan are now facing the prospect of spending their lives behind bars for the tragic killing of a 7-year-old girl during a drive-by shooting that occurred when they were teenagers.

Jajuan McDonald, aged 21, and Justin Rouser, 23, were convicted of first-degree murder on Wednesday. This verdict comes several years after they were implicated in the death of young Ariah Jackson. At the time of the crime, McDonald and Rouser were just 17 and 19, yet they now confront life sentences for ending the life of the girl, who was simply returning home from school.

According to WDIV, NBC’s local affiliate, the incident unfolded in the late afternoon of March 18, 2022, as Ariah’s mother waited at a bus stop in Pontiac. The school bus dropped off Ariah, along with her sister and two cousins. As they began their journey home, Ariah’s mother noticed an orange SUV with two men inside tailing them.

Rouser was at the wheel of the SUV, while McDonald unleashed a barrage of gunfire, targeting Ariah’s mother and the four young girls. McDonald fired eight shots, grazing Ariah’s mother and fatally striking Ariah in the back of her head, while the other children escaped unharmed.

WDIV further reported that Ariah’s father ran to the scene, hurriedly taking Ariah from the vehicle into their home, just before Oakland County deputies arrived to transport her to the hospital.

Ariah died not long after she arrived.

Detectives tracked down Rouser shortly after the shooting and arrested him while he attempted to flee from police. McDonald turned himself in to police on March 28, 2022. Both of them were charged with first-degree murder, four counts of attempted murder, and five counts of felony firearm. They were both found guilty on all charges.

Sentencing hearings were scheduled for March 3 and March 10.