Mason Larrison
Sentencing has been moved to June 12 for a teenager who pleaded guilty to felony intimidation with a deadly weapon after he was accused of threatening a group of students with a gun in the Columbus East High School parking lot in February.
Mason Larrison, 18, 3572 Grange Drive, was originally taken into custody on preliminary charges of criminal confinement, intimidation with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm on school property, according to arrest records. His arrest came one day after the parking lot confrontation that followed the Feb. 2 Columbus East-Brownstown Central basketball game, court records state.
Three weeks later, prosecutors announced they were formally charging Larrison with one count of intimidation with a deadly weapon as a Level 5 felony. The former East football receiver could receive no more than six years in prison, as well as a fine of up to $10,000.
After Larrison plead guilty to the single charge on April 3, he was scheduled to be sentenced on May 25. As part of a plea agreement, the defendant agreed to an open plea that allows Bartholomew Circuit Judge Kelly Benjamin to determine the sentence within the confines of state statutes.
But shortly before sentencing was about to begin, defense attorney Andrew Baldwin of Franklin provided Benjamin with a sentencing memorandum. The term generally refers to a written legal document prepared by a defense lawyer in an effort to provide the judge with a complete picture of the defendant.
A sentencing memorandum typically includes legal arguments for a lenient sentence, mitigating evidence, character letters, expert reports and proposed terms for probation.
When asked if Baldwin’s memorandum was part of the public record, a court reporter said such documents are considered confidential much like pre-sentence investigations. However, many details on those confidential reports are often brought up by the judge in open court during the sentencing hearing.
Benjamin said she needed more time to study the memorandum, so the sentencing hearing was postponed until 2 p.m. on June 12, Baldwin said.
Jealousy regarding the defendant’s former girlfriend appears to be Larrison’s motive, according to investigators. Prior to the incident in the school parking lot, a male student told investigators he had received threatening online messages from Larrison. While some Instagram messages indicated Larrison only wanted a fist fight, he also threatened the young male by telling him he had a gun and wanted to kill him, a probable cause affidavit states.
Following the ball game, the male victim was a passenger in a vehicle occupied by two others in the parking lot, a probable cause affidavit states.
Larrison ran up to the vehicle, pulled out a Taurus 9mm handgun and pointed it into the back seat of the vehicle where the male victim was sitting, according to the affidavit.
After the defendant told one of the victims to get out of the vehicle. Larrison attempted to open the rear door, but the victim was able to hold the door shut, the affidavit states. After the driver sped away from the scene, Larrison attempted to follow them in another vehicle, but eventually lost sight of them. One of the individuals being pursued decided to contact police and report the incident after they stopped in the area of Interstate 65 and Jonathan Moore Pike, court documents state.
Although Larrison’s bond was originally set at $117,500, Juvenile Magistrate Brittney Newland lowered the bond to $20,000 surety or $2,000 cash, which resulted in Larrison being released from jail. Investigators said the gun involved with this case was turned over to police.
