A Sugarland Run man faces up to six years in prison for participating in a fatal gunfight in Sterling over un-returned designer shoes on Sept. 1.

Jacob Judson McCormick pleaded guilty in Loudoun Circuit Court on April 11 to attempted malicious wounding along with buying, receiving or aiding in the concealment of a firearm. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dropped charges of using of a firearm in commission of a felony, and wearing a mask in public.

The agreement, which was approved by Judge James E. Plowman, calls for the 19-year-old McCormick's sentence to be capped at a maximum of six years. State sentencing guidelines recommend a minimum of one year and seven months, a midpoint of three years, and a maximum of four years and five months. McCormick is scheduled to be sentenced at 1 p.m. on Aug. 1.

The gunfight occurred around 10:30 p.m. in the Lerner Remington apartment complex at 21000 Stanford Square in Dulles Town Center. Alex Cartagena Jr., 18, was killed by Jaylin Elijah O'Brien, who returned fire after being shot at three time by Cartagena, according to a proffer of facts by Matthew Lowery, a Loudoun deputy commonwealth's attorney. 

Cartagena shot at O'Brien and his brother as they got into a car occupied by three people. O'Brien's brother testified at a preliminary hearing that O'Brien and Cartagena, who both graduated from Dominion High School in 2023, had been good friends before the falling out over shoes that Cartagena had lent O'Brien. In February, charges were dropped against O'Brien, 19, after the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney determined he acted in self-defense.

Besides the shoes, Cartagena had loaned O'Brien a gun, according to the proffer of facts. The document did not say if the gun that killed Cartagena was the one he lent to O'Brien. 

McCormick instigated the gunfight by posting on Instagram about O'Brien not returning the items and encouraging Cartagena to take them back by force, according to the proffer of facts. McCormick used the terms "licks" and "pulling up" on O'Brien — gang-culture slang for assaulting or robbing someone — the proffer said.

Cartagena and McCormick went to the complex armed and wearing masks, the proffer said, but McCormick didn't fire any shots. The gun McCormick was carrying was later found in his home and determined to be stolen, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. Lowery said McCormick told police that he and Cartagena had gone to the complex to attack O'Brien.