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Noah Settles, who is better known by his stage name “No Savage,” pleaded guilty on Thursday, Feb. 9, to three counts of maliciously discharging a firearm in an occupied building and using a firearm in the commission of a felony, Fairfax Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano announced.
Settles entered Alford's pleas to the charges, which means he is not admitting guilt, but believes that there is enough evidence to possibly convict him.
He had initially faced seven charges, including:
- Attempted malicious wounding;
- Carrying a concealed weapon;
- Brandishing a firearm.
“When I came into office, we promised to take serious crimes seriously,” Descano said. “I can think of few more serious crimes than this: taking a gun into a crowded, public space, endangering the safety of our community members and visitors, disrupting public life, and threatening their future sense of safety.”
The shooting happened over Father’s Day Weekend on Saturday, June 18, 2022, which led to an evacuation of the mall. No shoppers or employees at the mall were struck by any of the bullets that were fired.
According to Descano, at Thursday’s hearing, prosecutors showed video footage from mail surveillance cameras and bystanders' phones that show Settles getting into an altercation with another group of people before firing three shots near a mall kiosk.
Settles was scheduled to head to trial beginning on Monday, Feb. 13.
“Today's outcome guarantees accountability for every piece of this incident. (Settles) is pleading guilty to the most serious charges, giving the judge the opportunity to craft a sentence commensurate with the seriousness of the crime.”
When he is sentenced in June, Settles will face up to 33 years with a mandatory minimum of three years in prison.
“Gun violence is a scourge in our community,” Descano continued. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in that mall with my daughter, and my heart goes out to the victims who have been affected by this incident.”
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