Suspect enters guilty plea in connection with 2025 shooting of 8-year-old girl
Posted: Oct 22, 2026 12:31 PM EDT
St. Joseph County Jail: Tommy Gatheright ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- The St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office announced 20-year-old Tommy Gatheright entered a guilty plea agreement in connection to the Aug. 17, 2025, shooting near Laurel Woods Apartments which left an 8-year-old girl with a gunshot to the head.
Gatheright pled guilty to Aiding, Inducing or Causing Aggravated Battery, a Level 3 Felony, and admitted to the Felony Firearm Sentencing Enhancement as part of the agreement.
Gatheright's sentencing hearing is set for Nov. 18.
The prosecutor's office notes that at the sentencing hearing, the judge has the right to accept or reject the plea agreement.
The sentencing range for a Level 3 felony is 3-16 years with an advisory sentence of 9 years, while the sentencing range for the Felony Firearm Enhancement is an additional 5-20 years in prison.
