Man Pleads Guilty in Shooting of Coach, Student
A South Los Angeles man pleaded guilty to a May 17 shooting at Palisades High School that wounded a football coach and a student.
Superior Court Judge Judith Abrams sentenced Sheldon Pearce, 21, to eight years in state prison for firing a handgun into a crowd. Coach Ron Price, 62, and student Vontray Gardner, 18, suffered minor leg wounds.
Pearce, who plead guilty to two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, allegedly told police he went to the school to protect his younger brother, a Palisades student, from gang threats.
Pearce and two teenage suspects were arrested soon after the shooting and a brief chase.
With 2,500 students, Palisades High has consistently ranked among the safest schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, according to Principal Linda Hosford.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
