Teen Pleads Guilty in 2011 Cape Fear High School Shooting

The accused, Charles Dexter Underwood Jr.pleaded guilty on Wednesday to the shooting incident in October 2001, at Cape Fear High School that left student Catilyn Abercrombie in critical condition with a bullet lodged against the vertebrate of her neck.

The teen also pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon (a .22 caliber rifle) with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, discharging a weapon on educational property and possession of a firearm on educational property.

Underwood was prosecuted as an adult, although he was only 15 years of age at the time of the crime and Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons sentenced Underwood to between 12 years, one month and 15 years, three months in prison.

The co-defendent, Ta'von Malik McLaurin, now age 19 was charged with aiding and abetting and will appear in court in April.

Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West said Underwood had been targeting another student because his cousin "had been jumped" at a party the previous weekend according to a WRAL news report.

According to a Cumberland County Sheriff's media release, Sheriff Earl “Moose” Butler emphasized the importance of the rapid response by the Cape Fear High School Resource Officer, a deputy assigned to the school, and the efforts of school administrators and staff in avoiding the shooting of or injuries to any other students or teachers like those seen later at Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut, and in other school shootings both before and after the incident at Cape Fear High School.  “Lives were saved that day because of crisis situation training provided to School Resource Officers, school officials and supporting law enforcement agencies answering the call for help.  A combined team effort also resulted in the quick apprehension of Underwood.”