A 17-year-old Lancaster city juvenile was sentenced to 32 ½ years to life in prison last Friday after pleading guilty in October to charges of criminal homicide and two firearm offenses.

Elijahuwon Brown, of the 700 block of Manor Street, was sentenced by Lancaster County Judge Merrill Spahn for shooting and killing 23-year-old Rolando Rivera on Aug. 27, 2021, in the 500 block of Third Street when Brown was 14.

First-degree murder normally carries a mandatory sentence of life without parole. Brown faced a maximum sentence of life in prison, but because he was under the age of 15 when he committed the murder, he was not subject to the mandatory life sentence that adults are. The minimum sentence Brown faced was 25 years.

First Assistant District Attorney Travis Anderson read an impact statement from Rivera’s mother, played two videos that showed the shooting, and asked Judge Spahn to impose a sentence of at least 50 years at the sentencing hearing.

Defense counsel asked for the mandatory minimum of 25 years.

On August 27, 2021, around 9:44 p.m., the Lancaster City Bureau of Police responded to the 500 block of Third Street for the report of a male lying in the street after gunshots were fired.

Police found Rivera deceased and the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office determined the cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds and the manner to be homicide.

Officers discovered eight Blazer brand 9mm shell casings on the scene.

Detectives located video footage showing Brown and Rivera in the 500 and 600 blocks of Manor Street prior to the homicide. The footage also captured the shooter raising a firearm and shooting multiple times at the victim even while and after he falls to the ground.

Brown was charged, arrested, and arraigned on September 2, 2021, and committed to Lancaster County Prison without bail.

Brown withdrew his motion for decertification in October 2022.

Lancaster County Bureau of Police Detective Adam Flurry filed charges.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.