Though he had previously pleaded not guilty and suggested to the court that he hoped for the death penalty, accused Oikos University shooter One Goh pleaded no contest in Alameda County court this morning, as Bay City News reports. The plea was entered just a week after Goh was cleared as mentally fit to stand trial, and a full five years after the mass shooting at the East Oakland Korean Christian university that claimed the lives of seven people.
In total, Goh pleaded no contest to seven counts of murder, three counts of premeditated attempted murder, and the special circumstance allegations of committing a murder during a kidnapping and committing multiple murders.
The prosecution told the judge Tuesday that they will not be seeking the death penalty in this case.
"We hope that with today's resolution of this case, the families of the victims as well as survivors and victims of these horrific acts feel that justice has been served, [and] that there's a sense of finality to the proceedings for them today," said Alameda County prosecutor Stacie Pettigrew, speaking to reporters in the video shown below. Pettigrew added, "We know that the enormity of these crimes is unprecedented. A mass shooting such as this is unprecedented here in our county, and with the conclusion of this case today we know that Mr. Goh will not be in a position to further harm our community in the way that he did."
She said that when he is sentenced in July, Goh is expected to be sentenced to seven consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 271 years to life for the additional crimes.
Goh's defense attorney, Assistant Public Defender David Klaus, told reporters that Goh wanted the public and the victims' families to know that he is very sorry. Klaus said that for a long time, Goh's intention to receive the death penalty was an expression of his remorse.
After the April 3, 2012 shooting, Goh almost immediately turned himself in to police and confessed to the crime. Since then he has mostly resided in a state hospital in Napa where he's been treated for schizo-effective disorder, and was described as suffering from extreme delusions and paranoia. After several times be deemed incompetent to stand trial, he was finally declared competent by a court-appointed psychiatrist a little over a week ago.
Previously: One Goh, Shooter Accused In 2012 Oikos University Massacre, Finally Ruled Fit To Stand Trial