PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A Rhode Island teen has been sentenced to life in prison for the shooting death of student outside a Providence high school last year.
State Attorney General Peter Neronha said Friday that 17-year-old Providence resident Joel Loarca has pleaded guilty to five criminal counts and was handed down a life sentence plus an additional 10 years to serve in prison.
Loarca admitted to shooting 15-year-old William Parsons outside of Providence Career and Technical Academy in September 2018. Police say Parsons, a student at nearby Central High School, had been a bystander.
Loarca also accidentally shot himself in the thigh with the .357 Magnum Taurus revolver while fleeing. He waived his status as a juvenile, admitted he was a member of the Hanover Boyz gang and was tried as an adult.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.