Warsaw teen sentenced to six years in prison for 2023 shooting

Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 7:00 AM

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A Warsaw teen who pleaded guilty to shooting a person in April of 2023 has received a six year prison sentence from a Koscuisko Superior Court Judge.

Michael Ramirez, 19, was found guilty in March by a jury trial of charges of aggravated battery, a Level 3 felony; and two counts of pointing a firearm at a person, Level 6 felonies.

Ramirez was sentenced to nine years in the Indiana Department of Correction, with six years to be executed, and three of those years suspended for probation. An additional one year DOC for each charge of pointing a firearm was given, but both counts were suspended for probation.

Ramirez had 40 days of jail time credit at the time of his sentencing. The judge ordered each of the charges to be served back-to-back.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Ramirez's crime happened on April 8, 2023. When Warsaw Police officers arrived to the scene they reported immediately discovering a man laying on the ground with a gunshot wound. The victim was soon taken to a nearby hospital by emerency medical personnel.

Witnesses from the shooting incident claimed Ramirez had pointed a firearm at three individuals before fight ensued with the victim, ending with him shot.

Ramirez reported to officers that he had been enticed by threatening text messages prior to the shooting. Ramirez also admitted to loading a firearm when he noticed two people outside of his home with their hoods up. When he went outside, Ramirez claimed the victim swung at him first, causing him to push the victim and shoot his firearm.

A witness had claimed that they had confronted Ramirez after they had been texting threatening messages from him. The shooting victim reported that he had told Ramirez to put the gun away multiple times before he was shot in the back. The bullet had lodged itself in the victim's lung.

Ramirez refused to give a statement in court, and said he would not appeal the sentence.