Aiden Deininger and Jeremiah Cleveland are scheduled to appear in Lackawanna County Court this morning for sentencing following the 2024 ambush that critically wounded Scranton Police Detective Kyle Gilmartin. Deininger previously entered a guilty plea to 28 counts, including the attempted murder of three law enforcement officers, after firing five rounds into an unmarked police vehicle and striking Gilmartin twice in the head. Prosecutors noted that the shooting occurred during a violent crime spree that the defendants had been live-streaming on social media before being intercepted by police in West Scranton.
Cleveland, who was with Deininger during the preceding crime spree, also faces the judge today after pleading guilty to charges including aggravated assault and discharging a firearm into an occupied structure. While Deininger was the one who pulled the trigger during the confrontation with detectives, investigators determined that Cleveland had directed much of the night’s violence, including targeting specific homes earlier that evening. Detective Gilmartin, who underwent a lengthy recovery process after the near-fatal injuries, is expected to be present as the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office seeks significant prison time for both men.
