NY teen admits to killing 2, wounding 5 at Halloween party
NEWBURGH, N.Y. – A teenager has pleaded guilty to fatally shooting two young women and wounding five other people during a Halloween party in upstate New York last year.
The Times Herald-Record of Middletown reports (http://bit.ly/2m2JKOm ) 17-year-old Nija Johnson pleaded guilty Thursday in Orange County Court to two counts of second-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder.
He admitted to opening fire during a party being held Oct. 30 in Newburgh, 55 miles north of New York City. Eighteen-year-old Omani Free and 20-year-old Tabitha Cruz were killed.
Johnson was taken into custody in Richmond, Virginia, a week after the shooting. He faces 40 years to life in prison.
Prosecutors say security video at the party venue showed Johnson opened fire with a .40-calibre pistol with an extended 20-round magazine. Authorities say none of the victims were his intended target.
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Information from: The Times Herald-Record, http://www.th-record.com
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