Jacob Bray sentenced to 21-to-24 years in prison for 2025 Vermilion shooting spree (UPDATED)

ELYRIA — A Sheffield Lake man who drove an armed juvenile accomplice around a neighborhood in Vermilion last summer as the boy fired a semi-automatic rifle and a shotgun out of a truck is headed to prison for more than 20 years. Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Giovanna Bremke gave Jacob Bray an indefinite sentence of 21 to 24 years in prison for his role in a series of drive-by shootings last summer that terrified Vermilion residents. Bremke handed down the sentence at a hearing just after noon Tuesday. Bray, 19, of Sheffield Lake, must serve at least 21 years in prison before he is eligible for release, with no possibility of early release. "I would like to say that I am sorry for bringing everybody to this courthouse today," Bray said, asking Bremke for mercy so that he can be present in the life of his unborn child. "I'm sorry for my actions that caused this. I'm also sorry to the victims families and everything that was harmed by this." "I do take accountability for what happened that night. I very much do regret what happened that night. I very much do. I will never do that again," he said, pausing to collect himself. "I ask that if you could show a little bit of mercy on me, your honor, I promise you that I could show you I will never do anything relevant to this again." Bremke told Bray she doesn't think he's a bad person, but "I think you made a very bad decision that night.""And that bad decision placed a lot of innocent people in harm's way," she said, telling Bray his decisions "have consequences" that he might not fully appreciate. The victims were random, innocent strangers, Bremke said. Had what happened to them happened to Bray's unborn child, "you'd be sitting at the back of the courtroom asking me to impose a lengthy prison term for the defendant that sat at the table where you sit, and I would agreed with you," she told him. Following a two-day trial, a jury deliberated for just over two hours before finding Bray guilty of seven felony charges in a shooting spree on Brownhelm Station and Sunnyside roads in Vermilion in July 2025. No one was injured, but at least one house was struck by bullets fired from a semiautomatic rifle out the window of Bray's truck. Jurors found Bray guilty of felonious assault and multiple counts of improperly discharging a firearm and improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, all felonies, plus drive-by shooting and firearms specifications that added additional mandatory prison time to his sentence. Jurors found him not guilty of tampering with evidence and improperly furnishing firearms to a minor, both felonies. A 16-year-old accomplice faces similar charges in Lorain County Juvenile Court. Bray's defense was there was no evidence he was in Vermilion when the shootings happened. On Tuesday, Bray admitted he was. "I was not the one who shot the guns into that house," he said. "Yes, I was there, but I was not the one that shot the guns into the house." Bray said he should have turned in his juvenile accomplice but was afraid police would charge him in the shootings. Citing his client's difficult upbringing, attorney Jason Harless requested a "reasonable" sentence closer to 11 years, which was the absolute minimum he could have received. Harless called the shootings a "tragic situation" but said Bray had no malice or criminal intent as he drove his alleged accomplice around while the boy fired Bray's AM-15 semi-automatic rifle and Akkar 20-gauge shotgun out of his truck. Multiple Vermilion residents reported hearing loud bangs that woke them up between 3:30 and 5:30 a.m. July 23, 2025. One woman had to dive for cover after a bullet passed through her bedroom. That woman, Tracy Huffman, testified she was traumatized and terrified when she woke to her house being hit by bullets. Other victims provided written statements to the court echoing Huffman's thoughts. Cellular phone data, ballistics, video and photographic evidence put Bray and his truck at the scenes of the crimes, Assistant Lorain County Prosecutor Brian James said. Bray could have spent less time in prison if he had accepted a plea offer, James said. Instead he "thumbed his nose at that offer," showed no actual remorse and took no responsibility for the crimes, the prosecutor said. Five Lorain County Sheriff's deputies were present in Bremke's courtroom Tuesday. James said Bray talked prior to sentencing on a recorded jail phone line about planning to escape. Bray said he intends to appeal his conviction. Bremke appointed an attorney to assist him. Contact Dave O'Brien at 440-329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.