Teen accused in New Jersey shooting takes plea deal
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A picture of the weapons authorities say were seized when the boys were arrested.
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- A 15-year-old boy charged with plotting a shooting rampage pleaded guilty Tuesday to a single count of carjacking and accepted a five-year prison term without parole, a spokesman for the Camden County prosecutor told CNN.
Judge Samuel Natal dismissed murder conspiracy and aggravated assault charges against Cody Jackson and allowed him to plead guilty to a single carjacking count, said Bill Shralow, a spokesman for Camden County prosecutor Vincent Sarubbi.
"We're pleased that we got the lowest plea bargain allowed by law," said his attorney, John Underwood. "We've gotten the best we can get."
Jackson and two other teens -- a 14-year-old boy and Matthew Lovett, 18 -- were armed with rifles, shotguns, knives and several rounds of ammunition when they were arrested July 6 in the Philadelphia suburb of Oaklyn, New Jersey, after an attempted carjacking. Prosecutors said the three had planned to hijack a vehicle, execute three classmates and then kill people at random throughout the borough.
Earlier Tuesday, Judge Louis Hornstine, who ordered Jackson tried as an adult, rejected a defense motion seeking to have the case returned to juvenile court. Shralow said that ruling led to the plea agreement.
Jackson will be sentenced December 12, Underwood said.
Lovett, who prosecutors say was the leader of the planned spree, remains in Camden County Jail on $1 million bail. The 14-year-old agreed to a plea deal on weapons charges and faces a seven-year prison sentence.
