PITTSBURGH (AP) — A man convicted in a Pittsburgh-area mall shooting that wounded three people has been sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison.
A judge sentenced 18-year-old Tarod Thornhill on Thursday over the February 2015 shooting in Macy’s at the Monroeville Mall.
A defense attorney had acknowledged Thornhill shot his 20-year-old target and wounded two shopping bystanders, but argued his client was mentally ill.
Judge Jeffrey Manning rejected that defense, but did acknowledge Thornhill suffers from serious mental illness.
Thornhill’s parents asked the court to give their son the help he needs while he’s incarcerated.
In November, the judge acquitted Thornhill of attempted murder charges, but convicted him of aggravated assault, reckless endangering and firearms crimes.
One of the injured bystanders testified that injuries are like a “life sentence.” She hugged Thornhill’s father after the hearing.
