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Steven Alston, Jr., 18, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison with all but 18 years suspended and five years of post-release probation after admitting earlier this month to the January 2022 shooting of DeAndre Thomas, then 15, at Magruder High School.
The teen was also barred from having contact with Thomas and will undergo mental health evaluation at the facility he has been assigned to.
Alston pleaded guilty in November to attempted first-degree murder for shooting a 15-year-old victim who was using a restroom inside the building with a “ghost gun” at the high school on Friday, Jan. 21.
Despite being 17 years old at the time of the shooting, the teen was tried as an adult.
While he is incarcerated, officials from the Montgomery County State's Attorney’s Office said on Thursday, Dec. 22 that Alston would be admitted to the facility’s Patuxent Youthful Offender Program, a factor that Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy said played into the decision to try Alston as an adult.
"The Patuxent Institute is a special program designed here in the state of Maryland to deal with and address issues of individuals under the age of 25 who become involved in violent crimes, such as the case here today," he said.
"One reason we fought having it in Juvenile Court is that in reality, no programs that exist in the state of Maryland (for juvenile offenders) last more than one year," McCarthy continued. "We wanted to have it dealt with (in criminal court) due to the level of treatment needed. This was one way to ensure that (Alston) gets the type of treatment and punishment that is needed in this case."
McCarthy called the case "noteworthy for a number of reasons," noting that it was the first shooting at any of the 26 Montgomery County high schools, as well as spreading the proliferation of manufactured "ghost guns" that have become a scourge for all levels of law enforcement across the country.
"This (shooting) was accomplished by way of a 'ghost gun' that was purchased by Alston and shipped to his house," the State's Attorney said. "He put it together, and he brought it to a Montgomery County high school and used it."
Prosecutors also noted the callous nature in which Alston acted in the aftermath of the shooting, which could have been fatal if not for the life-saving efforts of a quick-thinking security guard and school nurse who intervened after seeing students fleeing from the aftermath of the bathroom shooting.
"In this case, after the shooting, Thomas was left to die on that bathroom floor. Miraculously, a security guard - Mr. Nelson - saw the scramble of young men running from the bathroom and found DeAndre on the floor,' McCarthy added. "Unquestionably that saved the life of this young man.
"It's also noteworthy if you look at what happened here ... We played a video in court of Mr. Alston skipping down the hallway and going back to class after he shot Mr. Thomas in the bathroom."
McCarthy also made note that the gun was recovered at Alston's feet in his classroom while the school was on lockdown, complete with extra ammunition that had been surreptitiously stuffed down. his sock.
"There's no excuse ... Absolutely no excuse for taking a handgun into a school in Montgomery County and in this instance, this young man was held accountable and will be held accountable."
In total, the incident led to Thomas having to endure 10 surgeries, according to his mother, who spoke in court during Alston's sentencing, with the teen asking at times whether he was going to survive while rehabbing at the hospital.
"We're here today with Karen Thomas, who talked about what it was like to be a mom and sit there," McCarthy said. "She's here on behalf of her son, and I thought the most striking thing (she said) was when she mentioned how her son was during the course of rehabilitation - and he was in critical care for weeks - and he would literally say 'Am I going to live?
"She also talked about some instances where she had to lie to her son because she truly did not know."
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