18-year-old Takes Plea Deal in Shooting

WALLA WALLA (AP) — An 18-year-old will likely be sentenced as a juvenile after taking a plea deal in a shooting.

A prosecutor told the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin that the 18-year-old was 17 when he drove people to and from the scene where 20-year-old Diego Bante-Rivera was shot in late July.

Adult sentencing could have meant up to year in jail.

Officials intend to recommend a juvenile sentence of time served on a charge of first-degree rendering criminal assistance.

Two other men have been charged with attempted first-degree murder in the shooting.

The Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office reported Bante-Rivera was still hospitalized for treatment last week.

Authorities have not released a possible motive for the shooting.

Those involved are believed to be gang members or associates.