LIBERTY — On Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026 the Village of Liberty Police Department arrested and charged two individuals in connection with a shooting investigation that began on Saturday May 30th, 2026.

On that date at approximately 10:15 p.m. officers responded to the area of South Main Street for a report of a gunshot victim. At that location officers found a 17 year old juvenile with an apparent gunshot wound to his foot. Responding officers provided immediate medical aid to the victim including applying a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

The Village of Liberty Police Department assisted by the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police immediately began a search for two suspects that had fled the scene on foot. An immediate search of the area including the use of a State Police K-9 unit did not result in locating the suspects. Investigation of the scene revealed that the victim was shot at twice, once striking his foot and a second bullet striking a backpack he was wearing, narrowly missing his body. 

Liberty Police detectives and officers, assisted by investigators with the New York State Police, began an intensive investigation to identify and apprehend the suspects.

Within hours officers had identified the individuals as a 15-year-old male juvenile of Monticello and a 16-year-old male juvenile of Liberty. For the next 60 hours Liberty PD and the New York State Police worked around the clock searching residences associated with the juveniles, interviewing friends and family, and utilized numerous investigative means to attempt to apprehend the two juveniles who were actively evading law enforcement. At approximately 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday 6/2/26 both juveniles surrendered themselves to the Liberty Police Department. 

Both juveniles were charged with Assault in the 1st degree, a class B violent felony and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the 2nd degree, class C violent felonies. 

The sixteen year old was arraigned in the Youth Part of Sullivan County Court by the Honorable E. Danielle Jose-Decker. At the arraignment, Sullivan County District Attorney Brian Conaty made application to have the juvenile held in a secure juvenile detention facility pending further court appearances. Judge Jose-Decker remanded the juvenile to the custody of the Sullivan County Sheriff to be placed in a secure juvenile detention facility pending further court appearance.

The fifteen year old was arraigned in the Youth Part of the Sullivan County Court by the Honorable Jacqueline Ricciani. At the arraignment, Sullivan County District Attorney Brian Conaty made application to have the juvenile held in a secure detention facility pending further court appearances. Judge Ricciani released the juvenile to his own recognizance under the supervision of the Sullivan County Probation Department and his legal guardian. He is due in court at a later date. 

Chief of Police Steven D’Agata stated, “I want to commend the hard work of the officers and detectives who relentlessly pursued leads to identify and ultimately charge these incredibly dangerous individuals. I would also like to thank District Attorney Brian Conaty, along with the assistant district attorneys and investigators, for devoting the time, attention, and resources that this violent act in our community deserved.

This case also highlights growing concerns shared by many law enforcement professionals and community members regarding how New York's juvenile justice system addresses violent offenders. In 2018, Raise the Age legislation was enacted in New York State, dramatically changing how individuals under the age of 18 are treated within the criminal justice system. While this legislation was undoubtedly passed with the noble intention of reducing the number of juveniles entering the adult criminal justice system, like many criminal justice reforms in recent years, it has failed to adequately address violent offenders.

The implementation of this legislation has resulted in teenagers across New York State engaging in serious violent behavior with little or no immediate accountability and, in many cases, few long-term consequences. This case is simply the latest example of those failures.

Put very plainly, a 15-year-old juvenile was charged with shooting a member of our community with an illegally possessed firearm, fled law enforcement for more than two days, and once arrested and charged, was immediately returned to the supervision of the same guardian under whose care these dangerous acts allegedly occurred.

The Village of Liberty Police Department will continue to utilize every available resource to keep our community safe. But arresting dangerous people means little if the system immediately releases them back into our community. Meaningful change is desperately needed.”

Criminal charges are merely allegations that a defendant has committed violations of the criminal law, and as such they are not evidence of guilt. All defendants have a presumption of innocence and are entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the burden of the State of New York to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt