As Suffolk continues to cope with the tragic loss of a 14-year-old girl in a drive-by shooting last weekend, a 17-year-old pleaded guilty Friday to charges stemming from a similar incident in February.

Marcus Knight, who was tried as an adult in Circuit Court, pled guilty to felonious malicious wounding, shooting from an automobile and misdemeanor possession of firearm as a minor and destruction of property. As part of a plea agreement, a charge of use of a firearm in a felony was dropped.

The case was set for a jury trial, but the plea deal was announced Thursday evening.

&uot;It seemed to be in the best interest of all concerned,&uot; said prosecutor Fox Urquhart III, who said that he was unaware if Knight had a previous record.

On Feb. 22, Knight was a passenger in a car traveling in the Berkshire Meadows area when he saw Ignacio Nova and another individual in the yard of a residence.

Knight, whose friends had allegedly had words with the pair early in the day, allegedly drew a .25 caliber pistol and fired two shots. Nova was hit in the leg, and the window of a Jeep was smashed.

Knight was arrested two days later. Nova was treated at Obici Hospital and released.

Judge Carl Eason accepted the plea agreement, and Knight will be sentenced Sept. 14. He faces up to 20 years on the malicious wounding charge and 10 on the shooting charge.

Last Saturday, 14-year-old Diane Holland was standing with a friend in the 300 block of Hunter Street when a vehicle passed by. Shots were fired from the car, striking both youths. Holland died at Obici Hospital.

Police ask that anyone with information about this crime to contact Detective Carlos Gonza-lez at 923-2194 or Crime Line at 1-888-Lock-U-Up.

jason.norman@suffolknewsherald.com