No prison for convicted shooter

SANDUSKY — A Berlin Township man received no prison time for a conviction following an August 2022 homicide. William M. Porter, 76, 7500 block Smokey Road, pleaded guilty to a single charge of reckless homicide, a third-degree felony, on April 26. Porter was originally charged with felonious assault after allegedly shooting his son, Gideon Porter, in the back of the head after an argument in Berlin Township. Porter was sentenced by Judge Beverly K. McGookey on June 20 to three years of community control sanctions. Erie County Prosecutor Kevin Baxter said "the court is the final decision maker when it comes to punishment and whether or not a prison term is required in the interest of justice." Prosecutors looked at several factors in making their recommendation to the judge. Baxter said they reviewed the sheriff's office investigation, Sheriff Paul Sigsworth's perspective, family members perspectives and the history of the involved parties. That history raised the suggestion of a possible self-defense claim. "At the conclusion of our review, the evidence did not support that the shooting was an intentional act that warranted a (murder charge)," Baxter said. "Instead, the evidence was more in line with this being a tragedy resulting in the defendant acting either negligently or recklessly. There were family members who believed this to be more of an accidental shooting." Delay in reporting The sentencing report was not published by the clerk of courts until July 24 because officials needed to figure out who would receive the many firearms in Porter's possession. Convicted felons are prohibited from possessing firearms in Ohio. The Erie County Sheriff's Office will retain a Colt .38 Special revolver, the weapon used to shoot Gideon Porter. Eleven M1 Garand rifles will be returned to the United States Army. William Porter had the rifles for duties related to a retired Marines color guard unit he was associated with, according to Sigsworth. The rifles had been modified to fire blank cartridges. Two handguns, four rifles, four shotguns, a military sword and knives will be given to a family member. Just after 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 26, 2022, deputies were called to a home in the 7500 block of Smokey Road. William Porter told dispatchers, "I think I shot my son." Approximately 25 minutes before calling 911 to say he shot his son, William called 911 and quickly hung up. As soon as the dispatcher answered, a man could be heard saying, "uh, cancel that. Just having a little problem, that's all." The dispatcher asked what was going on. The man on the phone replies, "Nothing. Nothing yet. I'll call you back if I need help." After a short interaction, he disconnected. Deputies arrived to find Gideon Porter, 33, inside the home and bleeding from a head wound. William Porter was detained pending investigation. Gideon Porter was flown by medical helicopter to a Cleveland hospital, where he died on Aug. 28, 2022. On the same day William Porter pleaded guilty, prosecutors filed a bill of information for reckless homicide. A bill of information is similar to an indictment, a formal charge in the court of common pleas, but does not require a grand jury vote.