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A man who fired a bullet into a Leesburg teen's bedroom during an argument over a video game has received a harsh sentence above guidelines, authorities announced on Friday.
Emerson Josue Martinez Alvarenga, 20, was sentenced in Loudoun County Circuit Court to three years in the Virginia Department of Corrections after being convicted of:
- Maliciously shooting at an occupied building;
- Two counts of possession of a firearm by a non-citizen not lawfully present in the United States;
- Two counts of brandishing a firearm.
The charges stem from a June 29, 2023, shooting at an apartment in Leesburg.
Authorities say Martinez Alvarenga, upset over a game console, showed up at the teen’s door with another man.
When the teen refused to open the door, Martinez Alvarenga called him and left a voicemail about the dispute before heading to his bedroom.
Officials said that several moments later he heard a “pop” sound.
A bullet pierced an exterior wall of the apartment, traveled into the bedroom, and hit a pillow on the bed, prompting the teenager to call for help and hide in a closet until Leesburg Police officers arrived.
Leesburg police later linked Martinez Alvarenga to two earlier incidents of brandishing a firearm, and when officers executed arrest warrants, they recovered a firearm from his home.
“Thanks to the comprehensive investigations conducted by the Leesburg Police Department into these escalating incidents, this individual was stopped before anyone was killed,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Bob Anderson said.
During the sentencing hearing, Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Anna Hammond argued that Martinez Alvarenga “terrorized the community for a period of six weeks … the facts are egregious, he shot into a bedroom over a video game.”
Due to Martinez Alvarenga’s reckless actions, Hammond recommended that he “should serve a significant amount of time above the guidelines.”
Defense counsel for Martinez Alvarenga argued that “it’s likely he will not be able to remain in the United States … he’s going back to El Salvador and probably have to spend more time in jail there because of his record.”
Before he pronounced Martinez Alvarenga’s sentence, Judge Thomas Horne stated that “your conduct is outrageous … defies civility.”
Horne, referring to the punishment recommended by the Virginia Sentencing Guidelines said, “one year and four months does not do justice in this case … the egregious nature of the conduct of your behavior justifies a punishment that exceeds the guidelines.”
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