VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A convicted felon from Portsmouth decided to plead guilty rather than let a judge decide his case of shooting in a busy public place.
Eric Oliver, 30, appeared in court Wednesday morning for a bench trial, but entered a last-minute guilty plea to all charges.
Oliver pleaded guilty to felony possession of a firearm and shooting at an occupied building charges along with four misdemeanors.
The charges stem from an incident in February where Oliver shot a gun several times near Apex Entertainment in Town Center in Virginia Beach. He shot at the ground and into the air towards one of the parking garages. He also fired shots in the stairwell of one of the parking garages.
No one was injured during the shooting, but both the prosecutor and defense acknowledged the dangerous nature of Oliver shooting in such a busy place.
“It would be terrifying to be at a place where children go to play games and families go for activities and hear gunshots,” his defense attorney Eric Korslund told 10 On Your Side outside the courthouse. “Especially in this day and age, you don’t know what’s around the corner or what to expect. So we’re very mindful of how serious this was and how terrifying this could be to people, especially in a place like Town Center, where people go to enjoy themselves.”
“Well, obviously, this is a case involving the complete reckless use of firearms and such huge wild endangerment to civilians in our community, especially at this particular place,” said prosecutor Brandon Emery.
Oliver will face a judge once more in January for sentencing. He will serve at least five years, the mandatory minimum for possessing a gun as a violent felon, but could serve up to 19 years behind bars.
