Marion man found guilty of shooting that left victim in coma, 'changed (his) life'

MARION — A Marion man was found guilty of shooting another man during an April fight that sent the shooting victim to a hospital where he fell into a coma.

Connor E. Correa, 25, pleaded no contest to one count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony, Tuesday in Marion County Common Pleas Court, said Marion County Prosecutor Ray Grogan. He was scheduled to go to trial Tuesday morning, but entered the plea instead.

The court found Correa guilty of the crime. He will be sentenced at a later date.

By entering a plea of no contest, Correa did not admit guilt, but also did not dispute the allegations in his indictment. A plea of no contest is often made in cases where the victim may file a civil lawsuit for damages because the plea cannot be used against the defendant in subsequent civil proceedings.

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Prosecutors alleged that about 2:30 a.m. on April 28, Correa pulled out a 9mm handgun and fired three shots at a 28-year-old man, one of which hit him in the backside, following a fight that broke out in front of Correa's house in the 400 block of Forest Lawn Boulevard.

The fight stemmed from an argument that Grogan and the victim have described as amounting to "who's tougher than whom."

The victim, Andrew Tyler Gregory, told the Star he is happy with the finding of guilty against Correa.

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The shooting landed Gregory in a Columbus hospital, where he fell into a coma that lasted over a week and lost about 60 pounds. Gregory underwent multiple surgeries before he was ultimately released from the hospital.

"It's changed my whole life," said Gregory, who is on disability and is not able to work in his profession as a concrete laborer, he added.

He still has more surgeries to undergo before he is, hopefully, completely healed, he said. He expects to stay in the hospital for six weeks after his next operation, he said.

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Gregory thanked Grogan for his personal attention both to the case and to him, as the victim in the case. Gregory may speak at Correa's sentencing, which will likely be held in the coming weeks.

Correa could be sentenced to up to eight years in prison for the offense of felonious assault.

As part of the negotiated plea, the other count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony, on which Correa was indicted, was dismissed, as were the three-year firearm specifications attached to both counts.

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Also, prosecutors agreed not to recommend a specific sentence, leaving it up to the judge to decide what to impose.

Correa, who had been out on bond, was taken into custody at the end of the plea hearing Tuesday and booked into the Multi-County Correctional Center, where he will stay while awaiting sentencing.

svolpenhei@gannett.com

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