Killer of friend to get house arrest again
The Willistown Township teenager who shot and killed a friend at an underage drinking party in 2006, then was ordered back into juvenile treatment for violating terms of his house arrest, will be allowed to return home, a judge has decided.
The Willistown Township teenager who shot and killed a friend at an underage drinking party in 2006, then was ordered back into juvenile treatment for violating terms of his house arrest, will be allowed to return home, a judge has decided.
Sean O'Neill Jr., 19, appeared in Chester County Court yesterday for a review hearing. Officials said that during the last 51/2 months, he has done well at a juvenile treatment program at Hickory Run State Park.
Judge Thomas G. Gavin ruled that O'Neill could be released on house arrest. The young man, who is employed by his father's construction firm, can leave the home only for work and to help care for family members.
Gavin said he would revisit terms of the house arrest "down the road."
Scott Sheridan, 17, of West Chester, was at the O'Neills' residence on Aug. 31, 2006, when O'Neill accidentally shot him in the face after he and his friends had been fooling around with a gun.
Other members of the O'Neill family also are facing criminal charges.
Sean O'Neill Sr. is facing federal charges that he lied about his membership in a reputed Irish terrorist organization to obtain a green card and purchase firearms, including an illegal silencer.
Roisin O'Neill, 22, sister of Sean O'Neill Jr., is awaiting trial in connection with an alleged drunken-driving crash on I-476 in Montgomery County last year that killed a 63-year-old Massachusetts grandmother.