PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — Elijah Ashford, a defendant associated with the Young Guns group, was sentenced last week to 25 years in prison following a hearing in Putnam County.
Ashford entered a no contest plea in January 2026 to charges of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm and Attempted Second-Degree Murder with a Firearm.
According to authorities, the case stemmed from a shooting on Nov. 17, 2023, at an apartment unit in Palatka. Investigators said Ashford, who was 15 years old at the time, was at the apartment when a gun allegedly went missing. He confronted a man who lived at the apartment about the missing firearm.
Officials said the argument escalated as the man attempted to leave the apartment. Ashford then allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the victim six times.
A witness identified Ashford as the shooter, and he was later arrested.
Prosecutors said the victim suffered severe injuries and has undergone 17 surgeries since the shooting. The victim remains on dialysis and still has a bullet lodged in his chest that cannot be removed because it is too close to his heart.
The case was investigated by the Palatka Police Department.
Assistant State Attorney Alexander Gilewicz prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Florida. Alicia Washington presided over the case and imposed the sentence.