Man pleads guilty in I-64 sniper shootings

An Afton man who fired shots at cars on Interstate 64 in March 2008 pleaded guilty to 14 felony charges yesterday in Albemarle County Circuit Court.

Slade Allen Woodson, 20, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of three years in prison on the count of use of a firearm. Albemarle Commonwealth's Attorney Denise Lunsford said the statute shows a sentence ranging from 28 years to 150 years, although it is unlikely that the state's sentencing guidelines will recommend a sentence of 28 years.

Woodson and Brandon Dawson, then 16, have admitted that they fired shots March 26 and 27 while driving around Albemarle County.

The shots damaged homes and vehicles, injuring two people slightly as a result. The incident shut down a portion of I-64 for several hours and closed Albemarle schools for the day. Waynesboro police also reported shots fired at a vehicle and a bank around the same time.

Woodson has received a two-year prison sentence in Waynesboro after admitting his role in the shootings there. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 23 in Albemarle.