NANTICOKE - Shawn Hamilton, the alleged triggerman in July's shooting in Plymouth that killed a Scranton Prep student and two other people, initially told investigators his little brother fired the barrage of bullets during a botched drug deal, police say.
Now, he says he did it himself.
While being led from a court hearing Friday afternoon, Mr. Hamilton ignored his attorney's advice to remain silent and told reporters he fired the fatal shots inside 401 First St. on July 7. He claimed his life was in jeopardy.
"So, you did all the shooting?" a reporter asked.
"Yeah, my brother, he's innocent," Mr. Hamilton said. "I did it in self-defense."
Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker ruled prosecutors presented enough evidence against Mr. Hamilton, 18, and his brother, Sawud Davis, 16, to send the case to trial. The suspects did not testify.
Families of the victims and suspects clashed outside after the two-hour hearing. They had to be separated by police when the defendants' mother advanced the self-defense motive and suggested the victims shared some of the blame for putting themselves in a dangerous situation.
"We send out condolences to the family. They were all children," said Mr. Hamilton's and Mr. Davis' mother, who would identify herself only as Shawna. "But when you sell drugs, that's what comes along with drugs. It was a drug house. "
Much of the evidence at Friday's hearing hinged on testimony by the lone survivor, Danny Maldonado II, 19, who was shot in the head, torso and forearm. He claimed the brothers tried to rob them after the group smoked marijuana inside the apartment. Mr. Hamilton pulled a gun and demanded they turn over cash, while Mr. Davis warned "this isn't a (expletive) game," he said.
Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Davis, both of Philadelphia, now face charges of criminal homicide and robbery in the deaths of Bradley James Swartwood, 21, and Nicolas Robert Maldonado, 17, both of 401 First St., Plymouth, and Lisa Abaunza, 15, of Duryea, whom Mr. Maldonado identified as Mr. Swartwood's girlfriend. They face an attempted murder charge for the shooting of Mr. Maldonado.
Ms. Abaunza had just finished her freshman year at Scranton Prep.
When told that Mr. Hamilton claimed self-defense to reporters, prosecutors responded that it would be a tough sell with more than 10 shots fired at the victims; all were hit multiple times.
"Four victims were there, and all four of them were shot in the head. So I think the public and a jury could draw their own conclusion," Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney William Finnegan said.
Contact the writer: bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com, @cvbobkal on Twitter