A Lancaster city man was sentenced to 15-30 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted homicide and eight additional charges regarding a September 2020 incident in the 1300 block of Bentley Ridge Blvd. in East Lampeter Township.
Wanyai Parker, 23 of the 300 block of S. Marshall St., plead guilty on November 12, 2021, to nine charges including four felonies of attempted homicide, person not to possess firearms, burglary, discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure and five misdemeanors.
Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker ordered sentence on January 20, 2022.
East Lampeter Township Police were dispatched to Bentley Ridge Blvd. around 10:11 p.m. on September 20, 2020. Upon arrival, police located multiple shell casing and bullet holes in an outdoor stairwell and inside of an apartment.
The victim relayed to police that Parker had entered her apartment without permission and pointed a handgun at both her and her sister. The victim had an active PFA against Parker.
Parker grabbed both victims’ cell phones and one victim ran toward the door to exit. Parker fired multiple shots as the victim escaped and ran to a neighbor for help.
“It’s sheer luck this isn’t a homicide case,” Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman stated at sentencing. “It’s a miracle nobody was hurt.”
After the incident, Parker discarded the firearm into a wooded area close to the complex which police were able to locate.
Defense argued Parker drank a large amount of alcohol before the incident and had an undiagnosed mental illness in asking for a lenient sentence from the judge.
Parker apologized to the victim and family in attendance and said, “If I could go back in time, I’d change what I’ve done.”
“You fired seven shots at a victim trying to flee,” Reinaker said.
East Lampeter Township Police Officer Andrew Garman filed charges.
Assistant District Attorney Christie Wilson prosecuted the case.
MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.