News

Accidental Southold shooter pleads guilty

A Southold man who fatally shot his friend in the neck while cleaning a rifle pleaded guilty Thursday, according to the District Attorney’s office.
Ryan Lademann, 26, is expected to be sentenced next month to five years probation for negligent homicide, the DA’s office said.
The shooting occurred January 23 in Mr. Lademann’s Pine Neck Road home, where the bullet fatally struck Lukasz Pasko, 26, in the neck.
An investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department’s homicide squad included a second interview of Mr. Lademann and a witness to the shooting, and forensic testing of the rifle. The investigation found the weapon to be operable and concluded that Mr. Lademann failed to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk in his handling of the rifle, according to the DA’s office.
Assistant District Attorney Lawrence Oppisso told the court that the victim’s family concurred with the district attorney’s office sentencing recommendation of five years probation.
Suffolk County Judge Martin Efman will sentence the Mr. Lademann November 30.
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