In the late summer of 2017, the community of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, was shaken by the tragic death of 15-year-old Devin Anthony Capasso. A Caucasian male, Devin was just beginning his freshman year at Greater Latrobe High School, where he was known by friends and faculty as a pleasant and friendly student. Described as a warm and sweet person who wouldn't want to hurt anyone, his sudden death left a profound void in the lives of those who knew him.
On the evening of August 29, 2017,
Devin was with a group of teenagers and two adults inside an apartment in the 300 block of Main Street in Latrobe. It was there that his life was cut short by a single gunshot to the torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A neighbor in the apartment building heard the shot and rushed to help, holding Devin in his arms in his final moments.
The investigation quickly led to the arrest of 17-year-old Andrew S. Braddy of Latrobe. Braddy confessed to police that he was 'brandishing' a 9-mm semi-automatic pistol when he pointed it at Devin and fired one round. The handgun used in the shooting had been reported stolen from a vehicle in Derry Township just a few days prior. After the shooting, Braddy fled the apartment and discarded the weapon in some nearby shrubbery. Initially, Braddy gave a conflicting account, claiming a masked man had threatened him, but he soon changed his story, stating he got excited while listening to rap music and 'manipulating the components of the gun,' which led to the fatal shot.
Despite being a juvenile, Andrew Braddy was charged as an adult with criminal homicide, carrying a firearm without a license, receiving stolen property, and theft from a vehicle. He was held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bail. In March 2019, Braddy, then 18, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter. His defense attorney argued that the shooting was a tragic accident influenced by drug use, stating that 'drugs and guns never mix.' The prosecution agreed that the charge of a reckless killing was the best fit for the facts of the case. Braddy was subsequently sentenced to a term of up to 12 years in prison, which included the maximum penalty of two and a half to five years for the involuntary manslaughter charge.
