Man gets probation in Youngstown shooting case

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — A man who was originally set to plead guilty in February on charges he shot at four people, wounding a 15-year-old girl, was sentenced Wednesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to probation.

Judge Anthony Donofrio upheld a recommendation by the attorneys in the case as he handed down the sentence to Christopher Sherman, 20, who ultimately pleaded guilty April 18 to two counts of felonious assault, a second-degree felony.

Sherman told Judge Donofrio on Feb. 2 that he thought he could beat the charges when he was in court for a plea hearing. He was appointed a new lawyer that day , Aaron Meikle, who told the judge Wednesday that there were several issues that would have worked in his favor had the case gone to trial.

Sherman is accused of firing at a car June 22, 2022, in the 400 block of Clearmount Avenue. The girl was wounded and three other people in the car were not injured.

Hampering the prosecution had the case gone to trial was the fact that the victim said in a social media post that Sherman was not the person who shot her, said Assistant Prosecutor Martin Hume. Hume also said that an eyewitness who identified Sherman as the shooter later recanted, and then changed his mind, which created credibility problems.

Hume said probation is a fitting sentence because Sherman took responsibility for his actions and has no prior criminal record.

Sherman apologized before the sentence was handed down.

He will be on probation for three years.

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