Eliyas Zaied, now 17, sits next to his attorney, Alyssah Foster, during his sentencing hearing Jan. 17.
ANNIE PULLEY, annie.pulley@journaltimes.com
Zaied, who is now 17, was 14 at the time and was charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon and possessing a dangerous weapon as a person younger than 18, which is a misdemeanor.
He pleaded guilty to the homicide charge in August, and the misdemeanor was dismissed.
“I’m very sorry for all the pain I’ve caused,†Zaied said in a statement to the court Friday afternoon.
Zaied also will be required to serve 10 years of extended supervision after his release.
“How in the world do you get to this point as a young person?†asked Judge Timothy Boyle during the hearing.
Boyle went on to describe the facts of the case as “a sad testament†to what’s happening in society and noted that many violent cases are associated with young offenders.
According to Assistant District Attorney Brooke Erickson, the shooting happened during an argument between the teens after the girl told Zaied she wanted break up with him.
Zaied’s defense counsel asked for an eight-year prison sentence, noting that adolescents’ brains are less developed, which indicates their inability to regulate emotionally charged situations or evaluate the consequences of their behavior.
“At 14, you know right from wrong,†Boyle said. “No frontal lobe issue there.â€
The girl’s grandmother, mother and stepfather also made statements to the court and asked the judge to deliver as lengthy a sentence as possible.
“Her life is forever changed,†the girl’s grandmother said, but “she’s still strong.â€
