Elyria man pleads guilty to shooting

An Elyria man admitted July 18 that he tried to kill another man on New Year’s Day 2017.

Sam M. Killings Jr., 38, who lived in the 200 block of Ninth Street, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder of a 48-year-old Elyria man, two counts of felonious assault and two counts of having weapons under disability before Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Christopher R. Rothgery.

Killings shot the man twice Jan. 1, 2017, in the 200 block of Lake Avenue, police said.

When officers arrived, they located the victim who Killings had gunshot wounds to his right bicep and the right side of his buttocks, police said.

The bullet that pierced the victim’s arm went through and also struck his abdomen.

Paramedics transported the man to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center and he then was flown to the MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, authorities said.

Police said the victim was visiting friends and talking with Killings when, for no apparent reason, he produced a handgun and shot the victim twice.

Killings left the scene before officers arrived and fled to Georgia, according to police.

Following the shooting, Killings was named fugitive of the week. In March 2017, he was taken into custody, police said.

Rothgery will sentence Killings at 10 a.m. July 25.