Acting state Supreme Court Justice Roger McDonough imposed the sentence on Randell Mason, 42, Friday morning.
On Feb. 10, Mason pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder, admitting to the brutal attack on Jon Romano at the Community Connections Drop-in Center on Aug. 29. Mason told police he “chopped up” Romano because Romano had been “disrespecting me,” according to court papers.
Mason pleaded guilty in a plea deal that will cap his sentence at 25 years.
Romano suffered severe injuries to his arms, which needed to be reattached, and to his head and legs. Romano needed weeks of hospital care after the Aug. 29 attack.
He broke down and needed to compose himself while discussing the injuries with reporters after Mason’s guilty plea. Romano’s recovery is not complete and he said he needed further surgeries.
“I’m happy that he’ll be locked away for a long time, although I do hope he gets the help that he needs while he’s incarcerated,” Romano told reporters at the time.
Asked if he was OK with the possibility that Mason could one day leave prison, Romano said yes — if Mason was able to turn his life around and successfully reintegrate into society.
Romano said he wished Mason had been charged with a hate crime because he said the defendant used racial slurs during the attack.
At 16, Romano drew notoriety when he fired a shotgun at students and wounded a teacher in Columbia High School in East Greenbush; an assistant principal tackled and disarmed him.
Romano, who was released from prison in 2020, has spoken about his mental health struggles. Parole officials said Romano showed a low chance of returning to prison.
“I think ultimate justice in this case is really just hoping to move forward in a way that we can prevent things like…
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