Bonner Springs teen pleads guilty in shooting death of father in Shawnee

A Bonner Springs teenager pleaded guilty Tuesday to shooting his father to death last summer in Shawnee.

Dalton Gay, who turned 16 on Monday, was 14 when his father, Darren Gay, was killed in July 2013.

He pleaded guilty in the juvenile division of Johnson County District Court to a charge of second-degree murder. Dalton, who was initially charged with first-degree murder, will be sentenced Oct. 20.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, defense attorney Trey Pettlon and Assistant District Attorney Don Hymer will be open to argue about what sentence he receives. Pettlon cannot ask for any less than three years.

Whatever sentence is imposed, he will remain under the supervision of juvenile justice officials until he turns 23.

Johnson County prosecutors had sought to have Gay tried as an adult, but a judge ruled in June that the case would remain in juvenile court.

However, he will also be subject to an underlying adult sentence in prison if he commits any new offenses while on juvenile supervision. As part of the plea agreement, both prosecution and defense attorneys will recommend an underlying sentence of 12 years and three months.

Over two days of court testimony in June to determine whether Dalton should be tried as an adult, Pettlon presented testimony from witnesses about alleged physical, sexual and emotional abuse by Darren Gay against his son.

Dalton was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the abuse, and mental health professionals testified that they did not think he was a threat to the public.

The shooting occurred on July 2, 2013, outside an auction business owned by Dalton’s mother and stepfather. When Darren Gay, 46, arrived to pick up his son for a visit, Dalton took a handgun out of his bag and emptied its 16-round magazine into his father’s car, hitting him with several bullets.

Dalton later told police that he had taken the gun from his stepfather’s locked gun safe after finding the key to the safe that morning.

This story was originally published September 30, 2014 at 10:42 AM.