LANCASTER, Pa. — Two Lancaster brothers accused of shooting at two people after a fight at a house party in September will have their cases proceed to trial in Lancaster County Court following a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, prosecutors said.
Joshua Whisman, 16, and his brother Alexander Whisman, 17, are both charged as adults in the case, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office.
Their mother, Brandi Whisman, has also been charged in connection to the incident after the investigation determined she provided the handguns used by the teens in the shootout, prosecutors said. She was arraigned at a separate hearing on Tuesday.
Alexander Whisman is one of three suspects charged in a separate case -- the kidnapping and murder of his cousin, Matthew Whisman, in April. One of the other suspects charged in that case, Jeremy Absher, is also the Whismans' cousin.
The third suspect, Steven Gaddis, is also charged in a shots-fired incident that occurred in Quarryville on April 15.
In the Lancaster shooting case, Alexander and Joshua Whisman are both charged with aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, being a minor in possession of a firearm and discharge of a firearm within city limits.
On Tuesday, Judge Andrew LeFever allowed the case of Joshua Whisman to proceed to the Court of Common Pleas.
Alexander Whisman waived his preliminary hearing for the same incident.
LeFever further denied Joshua Whisman’s attorney’s request to reduce his bail, saying he was “not comfortable” allowing Whisman to be released based on the evidence shown in court.
The brothers are accused of opening fire on two others in the 300 block of East New Street shortly after 9 p.m. Sept. 16.
No one was injured in the shooting.
A detective who investigated the case told the court the brothers were identified as the shooters. The shots were fired toward at least two males on the street.
Police later found two handguns at the scene which the brothers admitted to firing during the incident.
Information conveyed to police at the scene and in later interviews also played a role in identifying the brothers as the shooters, the detective told the court.
Brandi Whisman is charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and two counts of corruption of minors, all misdemeanors.
The boys told police Brandi Whisman gave them permission to take the guns whenever they wanted, even providing them a key to access the firearms and telling them where the guns were during the incident.
LeFever set Brandi Whisman’s bail at $10,000 unsecured.
