Man gets 10 years for northern Indiana mall shooting

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - A man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Tuesday for a deadly shooting that sent shoppers fleeing for safety inside a northern Indiana shopping mall.

Dazhon Howard, 23, 'also was given a suspended 7.5-year sentence after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter plea for killing Delaney Crosby, 23, inside University Park Mall in Mishawaka in Serptember 2020.

Howard reached a plea agreement with prosecutors after his March trial ended with a judge declaring a mistrial when jurors said they were deadlocked. Howard had argued that he shot Crosby in self-defense after the two got into an altercation

St. Joseph County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Sanford also assigned Howard to probation after he leaves prison.

No witnesses or family members spoke at the sentencing, but Howard apologized to Crosby's family and his attorney, Mark Lenyo, said his client was 'œregretful for his conduct in this case.'ť

Howard accepted the plea agreement last month. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss a murder charge.