Columbia man sentenced up to five years in state prison after pleading guilty to taking part in residential shooting
A Columbia man was sentenced to two to five years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to taking part in a shooting on a residential street, then attempting to hide the evidence.
In handing down the sentence, Judge David Ashworth told Caelan Natrell Brown, of the 200 block of Perry Street, that he could use his time in state prison to change his life for the better.
Or, Judge Ashworth said, Brown could instead become a hardened criminal.
“It’s up to you at this point,” Judge Ashworth told Brown.
Brown, 19, pleaded guilty Aug. 25 to criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturer number, receiving stolen property, firearms not to be carried without a license and possession of a firearm.
Though he wasn’t the shooter during the incident, Brown told the court he wanted to take accountability for his actions.
An attorney representing Brown explained to the court that his actions were those of a “stupid kid” who, while arming himself with a weapon, didn’t think any shots would be fired.
One of Brown’s two co-defendants fired a gun into a residence in the 400 block of Avenue K in Columbia Borough the afternoon of Nov. 1, 2024 as Brown stood by. Brown and the others then hid the gun and a second weapon in a separate residence.
Three people, one of them a juvenile, were inside the residence at the time but were uninjured.
Eyewitnesses told police they had seen three masked men wearing dark clothing fleeing after the shots had been fired shortly before 1:30 p.m.
Minutes later, the same three suspects were seen running into a home in the 200 block of South Fourth Street. Police arrested Brown and two others when they inspected the South Fourth Street residence, though he was no longer wearing dark clothing.
A witness from inside the South Fourth Street residence later told police Brown and the others had changed their clothes and shoes and hid several handguns. Investigators recovered two guns from the kitchen ceiling and the discarded clothing hidden behind a couch after searching the home.
Brown admitted to being present during the shooting, claiming he and one of his co-conspirators had been involved in a fight with two men at a local business, during which his phone was stolen. Brown told police he had tracked his phone’s location to the 400 block of Avenue K, after which he obtained two guns and went to the residence with his co-conspirators.
Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Lapp prosecuted the case.
Columbia Borough Police Officer Brent Smith filed the charges.
