Gresham teen sentenced for shooting 15-year-old outside Clackamas Town Center

A 19-year-old

who shot and wounded another teen

in a

broad-daylight shooting

at Clackamas Town Center last year has been sentenced to 7½ years in prison.

Pedro A. Cornejo-Morales

pleaded guilty to attempted murder Wednesday during a hearing before Clackamas County Circuit Judge Heather Karabeika.

The shooting outside the

mall’s

bookstore Dec. 20 scattered holiday shoppers and wounded 15-year-old Zenon E. Mendez, who exchanged gunfire with the attackers but missed, according to a

bail motion

filed earlier in the case.

Mendez had been hanging out with a female friend at the mall when they recognized Cornelo-Morales and another person following them, records say.

They sought help from employees, then dashed to their car and tried to leave.

Prosecutors say 20-year-old Carlos R. Hererra-Medrano blocked their escape by standing in front of the car as Cornejo-Morales pried open the passenger door and fired five times, striking Mendez in the left hand.

Cornejo-Morales was arrested while hiding near the scene and told investigators that he believed Mendez was cooperating with police in another homicide case, according to the bail memo.

“However, he denied that this factored into his reasoning for wanting to harm the victim,” prosecutors wrote. “He claimed that he and Mr. Herrera Medrano only intended to fight the victim.”

Herrera-Medrano was

arrested at his Gresham home

on Dec. 31. He has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and other charges. He remains out of custody ahead of an Aug. 12 trial.

—Zane Sparling covers breaking news and courts for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-319-7083,

zsparling@oregonian.com

or

@pdxzane

.

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