Man sentenced for Youngstown shooting during scuffle

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — A 19-year-old city man who pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in a January shooting case was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in prison.

Joshua Mahone received the sentence in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court from Judge R. Scott Krichbaum on a charge of aggravated assault, a fourth-degree felony.

Mahone was originally charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony, for a Jan. 18 shooting that wounded a man on Lakeview Avenue.

Mahone will serve six months on the aggravated assault charge and an additional one year on a firearm specification. He is getting 28 days credit for the sentence that he has served in the Mahoning County Jail.

Assistant Prosecutor Michael Rich told the judge the reason the charge was amended was because of the actions of the man who was shot in the shoulder.

The shooting happened during an argument at the home of Mahone’s sister, who was in an abusive relationship with the victim, he said.

Mahone was helping his sister when the argument broke out and he tried to get the victim to leave. He pulled a gun and the two struggled before the gun went off and the victim was shot in the shoulder.

The victim is on probation for another crime and has rebuffed all efforts from prosecutors to talk to him, Rich said.

Defense attorney Mark Carofolo said his client was trying to help his sister but made a “big mistake” when he pulled a gun.

Mahone apologized for harming the victim.

“It wasn’t my intentional to be harmful,” Mahone said.

Judge Krichbaum said Mahone had different ways to handle the argument, like calling the police.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com.