Accused Non-Fatal Shooter Takes Trial Date Over Plea Offering Five Years Without Parole

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A 37-year-old non-fatal shooting defendant was scheduled for a jury trial in March 2024 after rejecting a plea offer from the prosecution on Dec. 11.

During Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn’s reception court on Monday, defendant Lonnie McClain was offered a plea of 15 years, suspending all but five years without parole, and three years of supervised probation for firearm possession with a felony conviction, a concurrent three years for having a handgun on his person and a concurrent one year for firing a gun in Baltimore City.

Under the terms of the plea, McClain would also be required to register as a gun offender.

Defense attorney Amanda Savage, who stood in for Jason Rodriguez, said McClain rejected the offer. A one-day trial was set before Judge M. Brooke Murdock on March 13, 2024.

McClain’s additional charges include reckless endangerment, illegal possession of a firearm, possessing a firearm without a serial number and illegal possession of ammo in connection to the incident on Aug. 6, 2023.