MAN SENTENCED FOR BLINDING 72 YEAR OLD MAN DURING DRIVE BY PAINTBALL SHOOTING

Posted on 9/6/2016

Defendant: Thomas Alexander Woodruff

Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said, “This defendant shot a paintball gun at an innocent bystander as he was out for an early evening bicycle ride, causing him permanent blindness in one of his eyes.”  Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced that Thomas Alexander Woodruff, age 22, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to Felonious Assault, in connection to the May 29, 2015 drive by paintball shooting of Morris McCarty, age 72 at the time.  The victim was found lying on the ground bleeding next to his bicycle in the area of E. Whittier Street and S. Champion Avenue shortly after 7:30 pm.  The victim has permanent vision loss in the eye that was shot.  Woodruff also plead guilty to a charge of Attempted Possession of Drugs stemming from an incident that occurred earlier this year on January 7th, 2016.  “Woodruff was sentenced today on both cases to a total of four years in prison,” O’Brien stated.