Man who shot teenager in Lexington sentenced to 9 years for assault, other charges

A man who who shot a teenage girl at a Lexington gas station in 2020 was sentenced to nine years in prison by Fayette Circuit Judge Thomas Travis on Friday.

Carleton Taite II was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree assault, possessing a gun as a convicted felon and three counts of wanton endangerment. As part of a plea agreement, Taite had several additional charges dismissed.

Prosecutors recommended that Taite be sentenced to five years for assault, three years for possessing a gun as a convicted felon and one year for each count of wanton endangerment.

Travis accepted the recommendation and ruled that two of the wanton endangerment sentences be served concurrent to the prison time for the other charges, which Travis set to run one after the other for a total of nine years.

Taite, who’s 38, will get credit for time served. He is not eligible for probation.

The shooting happened on Oct. 1, 2020, at the Thorntons gas station on Redding Road, police said. The shooting happened before 3 a.m. and wounded a teenage girl, Lt. Ronald Keaton said at the time.

The injury was minor, police said. The gas station was also struck by gunfire and had window damage.