A teenager involved in a shooting incident in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to two to five years in prison. Nineteen-year-old Caelan Brown accepted a plea deal, which led to the dismissal of the most serious charges, including aggravated assault. The incident occurred on November 1, 2024, when Brown and two others fired shots at a home in Columbia, believing someone inside had stolen Brown's cellphone.
According to LancasterOnline, the charges against Brown included criminal conspiracy, possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturer number, and possession of a firearm without a license. The plea deal was reached before Lancaster County Judge David Ashworth, who sentenced Brown to state prison.
Brown, along with J'vian Mendez-Gonzalez and Isaiah Diaz, tracked two men to the house on Avenue K after a fight at a smoke shop. Brown dropped his cellphone during the altercation, and the trio believed it was taken by one of the men. The Columbia Borough Police Department reported that Mendez-Gonzalez fired three shots at the building before they hid the guns in a ceiling.
During the hearing, Brown expressed remorse, saying, "I do want to change my life. I want to take responsibility for my actions." His attorney, Andrew Cooper, described the case as complex, with many misunderstandings. One of the other suspects is expected to plead guilty on Friday (August 29).