Teenager pleads guilty to killing friend in 2023 drive-by shooting in Anderson County.

BELTON, SC (FOX Carolina) – A teenager pleaded guilty to killing his friend, more than a year after a drive-by shooting in Anderson County.

The incident occurred on February 22, 2023 along Williamham Road at the home of the victim, 14-year-old Elijah Sergent, a ninth-grader at Palmetto High School.

Sergeant was at home eating a bowl of cereal when a bullet hit him in the neck.

More than a year later, on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, a judge sentenced his friend who fired the fatal shot to 18 years in prison.

It was revealed in court that Long was not involved in the fatal shooting. According to the attorney's office, Grace Smith and Anthony Howard were with Long and drove past Sergeant's house several times before opening fire.

Smith and Howard still face murder and weapons charges.

Surveillance video from a nearby gas station showed Long with the gun shortly after the incident. In court, Long admitted to firing the fatal shot with Smith's .40-caliber pistol, which she had purchased the day before.

Long said he had been taking pills and was drunk when the shooting happened. He told Sergeant's family he was sorry and never meant to hurt him. The family had once invited Long to their home and given him a place to stay.

When asked why he fired the shot, Long gave no explanation.

Jacob Long was initially charged with murder, but he accepted the lesser offense of manslaughter as part of a plea agreement.

Sergent's grandparents said Long deserved a harsher sentence.

“There was no excuse for this guy. I listened to this lawyer make all kinds of excuses as to why he couldn't have done it. He'd been in this case and that case. He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew exactly what he was getting at, so he had no excuses. He should have gotten the death penalty, that's how I feel about it.”

Charges are pending against Smith and Howard. Smith is free on bail, while Howard was denied bail and remains in jail.

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