Teen gets at least 4 years in state prison for shooting near Westinghouse Academy

A Clairton man who was just 16 at the time he shot four people near Westinghouse Academy in Homewood will serve four to nine years in state prison.

James Pritchard, now 18, pleaded guilty on Thursday to four counts of aggravated assault and was sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Randal B. Todd.

In addition to the prison term, Pritchard must also serve three years’ probation as part of a negotiated plea deal.

Four students were shot just after school was dismissed Feb. 14, 2023.

None of the injuries were life-threatening, and most of the victims reported injuries to their extremities, police said.

Investigators found at least 13 shell casings in the 7000 block of North Maryland and on Fielding Way.

Pritchard was identified through surveillance footage but not arrested for several months.

In August 2023, Pritchard was arrested after police said he was spotted on the Birmingham Bridge and tried to flee in a stolen car.

Outside the car, police said they recovered a 9 mm handgun that had been reported lost in Harrisburg.

Testing showed it matched the one used near the Westinghouse Academy shooting, police said.

As part of the hearing Thursday, the mother of one of the victims submitted an impact statement to the court, describing to the judge the scene at the school that afternoon.

“As I arrived at the school, there were many cops, many frantic parents screaming, crying kids not knowing if they were safe, if their kids were ok,” she wrote. “The look … of the children’s faces is unforgettable.”

She said she didn’t know her child’s condition for a period of time, compounding her fear.

Because of the injuries, the woman wrote that her child missed several weeks of school.

The shooting, she said, was careless and senseless.

Defense attorney Casey White said after the hearing Pritchard wants to move on.

“My client is glad he was able to put this matter behind him and hopes the same for everyone involved.”