Plea Deal Reached In WeHa USJ Shooting Incident: Report

WEST HARTFORD, CT — The man responsible for a wild shooting and car chase at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford last November has pleaded guilty in connection with the case.

According to CT Insider, Darnell Courtney Barnes Jr., 23, pleaded guilty in Hartford Superior Court Tuesday to first-degree assault in connection with the incident as part of a plea bargain.

The sentencing will take place Nov. 8, with Barnes facing between five and 10 years behind bars, according to CT Insider.

Barnes, a former Bristol resident who hails from Hartford, was charged in connection with a wild brouhaha last Nov. 4 that was linked to a dispute over a personal relationship.

Those included first-degree assault; first-degree reckless endangerment; evading responsibility; first-degree criminal mischief; and second-degree assault with a motor vehicle.

Reportedly, the dispute involved two males and a female, who was a USJ student, with all three of them knowing each other. Neither Barnes nor the male victim were USJ students.

On that early morning, police were called at 2:20 a.m. for a report of gunshots on campus in a parking lot.

Shortly thereafter, police were called to the scene of a single-car rollover off campus in West Hartford.

Barnes was charged later that weekend following a manhunt that also extended into Massachusetts. He later turned himself in to Farmington, Conn., police.

For the full CT Insider report, click on this link.

From Nov. 7, 2022: 'Update: USJ Shooting In West Hartford Due To Relationship Dispute'