A Las Vegas teen who shot and killed his own father during a fight over electronics evaded prison time when a judge only sentenced him to probation Thursday, according to a report.
Lincoln Peterson pleaded for mercy and claimed “none of this was ever my intention” as family members also showed support for the 16-year-old boy four months after he pleaded to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of his dad, Jeremy Peterson.
District Judge Tierra Jones ordered probation for Peterson — bucking prosecutors’ request that the convicted killer spend at least six years behind bars, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Jones noted the overwhelming number of loved ones backing Peterson when explaining her light sentencing, the newspaper reported.
“Nothing, nothing compares to losing the love of my life, my husband, and knowing that my own son’s action was the cause,” the defendant’s mother and victim’s wife, Abigail Peterson, reportedly said.
“But unless you’ve stood in my place, you cannot understand the depth of the pain that coexists with forgiveness and love.”
The fatal argument between Peterson and his father on Dec. 28, 2024, began after his parents took his electronics away for bad grades and believed he was “sneaking” using them, according to court records reviewed by the Review Journal.
His mother smacked him with a belt, and as he ran from his parents, he picked up a handgun from a dryer and shot backward, but claimed he didn’t know he struck anyone, according to records.
Prosecutor Laura Rose argued that granting probation would be too lenient, while defense lawyer Ryan Helmick claimed his client learned from his mistake. The lawyer said the teen has been attending school and read 88 books in custody.
“My father has passed, and I will not have him for the rest of my life,” Peterson’s older sister Moriah Peterson said in court, per the outlet.
“I will not get to have a wedding where he walks me down the aisle. I will not get to introduce my children to him. But as much as my family is torn apart, there is reconciliation, and I do believe in forgiveness.”
Peterson, who allegedly threatened suicide weeks before the shooting, could face a jail sentence of up to 15 years that is currently suspended if he doesn’t follow the guidelines of his probation, including attending counseling.
The post Teen who killed father during fight over electronics gets no prison time from merciful judge appeared first on New York Post.
