Accused Ladd-Peebles shooter pleads guilty: Mobile County DA’s Office
MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) — A man accused of shooting five people at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in October 2021 has pleaded guilty to five counts of attempted murder, according to a Mobile County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson.
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Court documents said the court split Hezekiah Kaniel Belfon’s sentence from 20 years to five years, followed by five years of formal state probation.
Belfon, 22, was 19 at the time of the shooting and asked in May 2023 to be tried as a youthful offender, but Judge Charlie Graddick denied the request.
Criminal Defense Attorney Yancey Burnett argued in May 2023 on Belfon’s behalf that he fired shots in self-defense because he was being attacked by a group of 15 people.
Belfon was arrested months after the incident in March 2022 in St. Augustine, Florida. Burnett argued he left town because he was worried about retaliation and did not believe he was guilty.
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Court documents show Jai Montrell Scott Jr., 22, who is also facing five attempted murder charges in the Ladd-Peebles Stadium shooting, did not accept his plea deal with the state.
His trial or blind plea is set for Sept. 9, 2024, at 9 a.m.
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