Va. ex-Marine who shot at Pentagon gets 25 years

Yonathan Melaku is seen following his arrest May 26, 2011, in Loudoun County, Va. / WUSA-TV/Loudoun County (Virginia) Sheriff's Office

ALEXANDRIA, Va. A schizophrenic ex-Marine convicted of shooting at the Pentagon and other military targets has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Twenty-four-year-old Yonathan Melaku of Alexandria pleaded guilty last year to a series of shootings in 2010, including at the Marine Corps museum in Quantico and military recruiting stations. No one was injured.

The plea deal called for a non-negotiable 25-year sentence. But Melaku got new lawyers who uncovered evidence he was mentally ill. Government doctors have now also diagnosed him as schizophrenic.

At Friday's sentencing hearing, Melaku confirmed that he wanted to go forward with the plea deal, even though he was aware of a potential insanity defense. He risked an 85-year sentence if he passed on the plea deal.

[ammo17]

is this guy a memeber of the n.r.a.? ans.no the problem is not with the n.r.a. it is the sick crazy people who are running loose because the government doesn`t want to admit we have a mental problem in this country,and they want to send billions of taxpayer money around the world instead of investing here where we need the help and money.wake up america!

[omnibus66]

So we are going to spend $20,000 per year times 25 equals $500,000 dollars to keep this guy behind bars when he is obviously mentally ill. Psychiatrists charge a lot, but I don't think treatment would cost that much. Maybe, just maybe, if someone had recognized this guys problem a little earlier it would have ended up costing everyone a lot less.

[kbbpll]

The NRA wants him to guard your local elementary school.