Grand Forks County (trfnews.i234.me) — A judge sentenced teen Mason Allery to 10 years in prison.
The ruling came Monday, Jan 12, 2026, in Grand Forks County District Court.
Allery was 16 during the January 2025 shooting.
He is now 17.
He pleaded guilty to five counts of attempted murder.
What happened
Prosecutors said Allery fired into a car filled with teenagers.
The shooting happened near the Ramada Inn in Grand Forks.
Authorities said he and Walker Poitra fired more than a dozen shots.
They were about three feet from the car, prosecutors said.
Two teens were hit in the forearm.
Both survived.
What the court heard
Judge Ted Sandberg called the case “fake gangster nonsense.”
He said a small change in aim could have killed someone.
Sandberg said 10 years was not harsh enough.
He said he honored the plea deal and its limits.
Sandberg also warned others about revenge talk.
“This whole gangster culture needs to be flushed,” he said.
Prosecutor Sarah Gereszek described messages tied to the case.
She said investigators found texts sent the night before.
She said Allery wrote about being maced.
She said he blamed someone and wanted payback.
She said he talked about bullets and making headlines.
Allery told the court he regrets the shooting.
He said he thinks about it every day.
He asked for a five-year sentence.
He spoke about a hard childhood.
He said his parents were often in prison.
Sandberg rejected the shorter term.
He said hardship should have stopped the crime.
He said the victims living was a “break” that night.
Sandberg ordered Allery to earn a high school diploma in prison.
He said he would not accept a GED.
What happens next
Poitra also pleaded guilty to five attempted murder counts.
He faces between five and 10 years in prison.
His sentencing is scheduled for April.
More information
- North Dakota Courts public case search
- Grand Forks County State’s Attorney Office
- North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.