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2020 Westgate shooter pleads guilty, faces up to 44 years in prison

A 22-year-old who shot three people at the Westgate entertainment district in Glendale in 2020 pleaded guilty Friday.

Armando Hernandez Jr. pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree murder and two of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Under a plea agreement, dozens of other counts were dismissed.

In a hearing after the shooting, prosecutors said he self-identified as an incel, or involuntary celebate, and was targeting couples. He was also confirmed to have been livestreaming the shooting over Snapchat.

Hernandez faces 19 to 44 years in prison for the shootings of a 30-year-old woman, a 19-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl. All of the victims survived.

Vaughan Jones was a reporter at KJZZ from 2020 to 2022.