SPOKANE, Wash. — A man convicted of opening fire and killing a student in a hallway at Freeman High School nearly seven years ago was sentenced to 25 years to life on Friday.
We can’t ignore that we are just days from the seven year mark since the school shooting at Freeman High School that resulted in the death of one student and injured three others.
As you can imagine, returning to court for the shooter’s resentencing is difficult for the Freeman community.
The judge agreed to go forward with attorneys’ recommendations for the high end of the sentencing range for Caleb Sharpe.
For count one, aggravated murder, the judge sentenced Sharpe to 25 years to life in prison. The three counts of attempted murder and the second-degree assault charge will run at the same time, which means Sharpe will serve a total of 25 years to life in prison.
Amy Strahan was the only witness who took the stand to read a statement today. She is the mother of Sam Strahan, the Freeman high school student who died in the shooting.
"The wounds from that day remain deeply painful," Strahan said. "This coming here and doing this again, very painful. I'm here for Sam, and I will always show up for him, regardless of how much this hurts me. But it bears repeating that this nightmare will never be over. There are long standing wounds that won't heal because they simply can’t.”
Sharpe was just 15 years old when he entered Freeman High School with a gun, shot and killed one student and seriously injured three other students in 2017. In 2022, Sharpe, who was 18 at the time, was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison with additional lifetime supervision.
In an opinion filed in April, the Washington State Court of Appeals concluded Sharpe was sentenced to too long of a prison term and needs to be resentenced.
The deputy prosecutor acknowledged the impact this has on families returning to court on Friday.
“Even given the laws that have changed, because they have changed, and, unfortunately, they've changed in such a way that as you heard from Ms. Strahan, that victims often get devalued," Michael Jolstead, Spokane County Deputy Attorney, said. "They come here for a resentencing because the laws have changed.”
While Sharpe is resentenced to 25 years to life in prison, at the end of 25 years, he can petition for parole.
According to the opinion, Sharpe raised several challenges to his sentence. He cited a Washington state law that requires an exact sentence of 25 years to life for anyone who committed the crime when they were 16 or younger, as well as another law that states firearm enhancements don't apply to people who commit first-degree murder when they are under the age of 16. Sharpe also claimed his 40-year sentence is unconstitutional because it is essentially a life sentence.
"We accept the State’s concession and hold that former RCW 10.95.030(3)(a)(i) requires a trial court to impose the exact sentence of 25 years to life on a defendant who was under the age of 16 when they committed the crime of aggravated first-degree murder," the opinion reads.
Sharpe also claimed his confession to police shortly after his arrest was involuntary, according to the opinion. However, the court stated Sharpe waived his right to challenge his confession after he pleaded guilty to the crimes in 2022.
"We grant the parties’ joint request to reverse Sharpe’s sentence and remand for de novo resentencing," the opinion reads.
Randy Russell, the superintendent of the Freeman School District, issued a statement following the court's decision, stating in part:
"The Freeman School District is disappointed in today’s announcement that the WA State Court of Appeals has ordered the re-sentencing of Caleb Sharpe. It’s heartbreaking that the Freeman students, staff, families, and community will be exposed to yet another conversation about the situation. We will continue providing support and services to Freeman students, staff, and families as we navigate our continuing road of recovery."
Read the full opinion here.
The Freeman School District released the following statement following the sentencing:
This has been a very difficult and long seven years for our Freeman community, especially for the victims and their families, to endure. Every time this case is reopened, or another school shooting takes place, it takes us back to a place of trauma, distress and reliving this nightmare. We only hope this is the last time our families have to be in a courthouse regarding this situation.
We are so proud of our students, staff, parents, and community who have been resilient and resolute during this difficulty. We continue looking forward to our future and we want to thank all those who have stood by Freeman and offered their love and support during this time. Your kindness and support will always be remembered. We remain Freeman Strong.