A judge sentenced a Lancaster city man to 14 to 28 years in prison this month after he pleaded guilty to shooting man during a scuffle on a downtown street.

Judge Dennis Reinaker handed down the sentence to Miguel Camacho, Jr., of the 800 block of Columbia Avenue, on March 2. Camacho had pleaded guilty in November to charges of aggravated assault, possession of a prohibited firearm and carrying a firearm without a license – all felony offenses.

Speaking through an interpreter and clutching a cane, the 39-year-old victim told the court he now has a permanent limp after being shot and has pain in the soles of his feet.

Exactly why Camacho shot him in the leg in the 400 block of South Duke Street in February 2024, however, was something the victim couldn’t explain.

“Whatever his motives,” said First Assistant District Attorney Travis Anderson, who prosecuted the case, “it was an entirely senseless act.”

The victim explained to the court that he was returning home after buying candy when Camcho, in Anderson’s words, “set upon him” in an ambush.

During the ensuing scuffle Camacho, 43, fired a single shot at the victim as he ran away. The victim suffered a broken femur and significant tissue damage that required surgery and still-ongoing intensive rehabilitation.

Multiple eyewitnesses saw and nearby surveillance video captured Camacho fighting the victim before brandishing the gun and firing. Lancaster Safety Coalition footage then showed Camacho fleeing the scene on foot.

Before being sentenced Camacho told the victim he was sorry for what happened, but then added that “you know that you weren’t innocent.”

Camacho attempted to explain to the court at length as to how the day’s events unfolded, claiming that his actions were impulsive and that he never meant to cause trouble – an argument that Judge Reinaker disputed.

“What were you thinking to bring a firearm into the mix?” Reinaker asked Camacho, adding that he was grown enough to understand the consequences of his actions.

Not only did Camacho not have a valid license to carry the gun, he was also not legally allowed to possess a firearm at all due to a previous felony drug conviction.

Lancaster City Bureau of Police Det. Jacob Bingham filed the charges.