Case Update: Washington County Man Sentenced For Movie Theater Shooting

August 5, 2021 | Topic: Criminal

HARRISBURG—Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced that a Waynesburg man has been sentenced to two to five years in state prison for injuring a teen during a shooting in a North Franklin Township movie theater.

“The defendant was given the privilege and responsibility to safely and publicly carry a weapon. Instead, he lashed out at a group of young people, critically injuring one and terrifying others,” said Attorney General Shapiro. “We will continue to hold accountable anyone who makes Pennsylvania neighborhoods and communities less safe.”

Chris Allen Williams, 55, was today sentenced for injuring a juvenile’s leg after he provoked an altercation inside of a movie theater in March 2019. Williams confronted a group of juveniles at the theater, punching one of them in the face. When the teens attempted to leave the theater, Williams chased after the juveniles and shot one of them in the leg in the crowded theater. The bullet lodged in the victim’s leg, requiring him to be life-flighted from the theater to the hospital. In May 2021, he was found guilty of Recklessly Endangering Another Person and related assault charges.

Williams has been sentenced to two to five years in a state correctional facility. This case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Patrick Schulte and Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Simquita Bridges, and was heard before the Honorable Judge Valerie Costanzo of the Washington County Court of Common Pleas.

 

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