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Raul Castro was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison for the 2019 shooting of a 15-year old classmate after pleading guilty to attempted murder, possession of a firearm by a minor, and related offenses, according to the Chester County District Attorney's Office.
Castro -- who was also 15 years-old at the time -- met two classmates with the intention of slap boxing at the Schuykill River on April 1, 2019, the DA's office said.
But that turned into a brawl gone wrong when Castro pulled out his grandfather's 9mm pistol and shot one of his classmates in the stomach and clavicle, then fled to the MontCo side of the river, authorities said.
Castro was taken into custody following a witness statement identifying him as the assailant who shot the teen at an abandoned railroad bridge in East Coventry Township, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Castro told police he “tried to help” the victim by putting pressure on his gunshot wounds, and that he “felt bad after [he] did it," the news outlet reports.
The victim was airlifted the to Reading Health Systems Trauma Center, where he underwent emergency surgery, authorities said.
The pistol recovered at the scene is registered to Gary DiFerdinand, 67, Castro's grandfather who lives with him in the same home, the Inquirer reports.
The case was investigated by Lower Pottsgrove police, East Coventry police, and Chester County Detectives.
The assigned prosecutor was Assistant District Attorney Christine Abatemarco.
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