NARVON, Pa. — A Lancaster County teenager will spend up to six years in prison and was ordered to pay $226,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to shooting a man with a BB gun and stabbing him with a knife during an incident last year in Caernarvon Township.
Nicholas Martin, 17, pleaded guilty last month to aggravated assault, possessing an instrument of crime and simple assault, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office. He was sentenced this week to a prison term of three to six years by Lancaster County Judge Merrill Spahn.
The $226,000 in restitution covers the victim's medical expenses, according to prosecutors.
The then-16-year-old Martin shot the victim with an AR-style BB gun in their home in the 6100 block of Division Highway around 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 11, 2023, prosecutors said.
The man fought back and pushed Martin to the ground, but Martin then proceeded to stab the man with a 5.5-inch knife.
After the attack, Martin retreated to his bedroom and later surrendered to State Police without incident, prosecutors said.
The victim suffered stab wounds to his groin, back, arm and hand.
A witness told police Martin started shooting the man with the BB gun when the man returned from work. The two had been involved in an argument the night before, the witness told investigators, which resulted in Martin saying he was “going to kill him now or later” the following morning.
Martin also sent the man a text daring him to return home and posted on social media the same day that he was “going to kill my dad today," according to prosecutors.
The witness told authorities that Martin spent most of the day with two BB guns and several knives.
In a later interview with police, Martin told investigators he wanted to kill the man during the incident.
Assistant District Attorney Janie Swinehart prosecuted the case. Trooper Amos Glick of the Pennsylvania State Police filed the charges.
