Jacob Bray found guilty, to be sentenced Friday on 7 felony charges in 2025 Vermilion shooting spree (UPDATED)

ELYRIA — A Lorain County Common Pleas jury deliberated for just over two hours before finding Jacob Bray guilty of seven felony charges in a shooting spree in Vermilion last summer. Following a two-day trial, jurors found Bray guilty of one count of felonious assault, four counts of improperly discharging a firearm and two counts of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, plus firearms and drive-by shooting specifications. He was found not guilty of tampering with evidence and improperly furnishing firearms to a minor, both felonies. Judge Giovanna Bremke revoked Bray's bond and set sentencing for 10 a.m. today. Bray could get decades in prison. The 19-year-old Sheffield Lake man sobbed as he was led away in handcuffs by two Lorain County sheriff's deputies to be taken to the Lorain County Jail. "I love you, baby," Bray called out to his girlfriend, who was sitting in the courtroom, also crying. The jury started deliberating Wednesday afternoon before reaching a verdict Thursday morning. Vermilion police said Bray and a 16-year-old accomplice drove through residential neighborhoods along Brownhelm Station Road and Sunnyside Road for two hours the morning of July 23, 2025, firing an AM-15 semi-automatic rifle and a 20-gauge shotgun in a series of drive-by shootings. No one was injured but a Brownhelm Station Road resident testified about having to crawl to safety after a bullet went through the wall of her house and into her bedroom. Witnesses described loud bangs and finding shell casings from both guns the day after. The Lorain County Prosecutor's Office said the shell casings, cellphone data and Flock license plate reader cameras put Bray in Vermilion on July 23, 2025.Defense attorney Jason Harless argued that just because Bray's truck, guns and phone were in Vermilion didn't mean that Bray was. There also was no DNA tying him to the crime. Harless said he would reserve comment for sentencing. Assistant Prosecutor Brian James, who handled the case for the state, said he was pleased with the verdict. The 16-year-old boy, whom The Chronicle-Telegram is not naming due to his age, will be tried as a juvenile in Juvenile Court. If convicted of being a serious youthful offender under Ohio law, he could face a blended juvenile and adult sentence. Contact Dave O'Brien at 440-329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.