Man pleads not guilty in alleged road-rage shooting of Lancaster boy

LANCASTER, Calif. - A 29-year-old man pleaded not guilty Monday to murder and other charges stemming from the alleged road-rage shooting death of a 4-year-old boy in Lancaster.

Byron Burkhart is charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder, one count of shooting at an occupied vehicle and five counts of possession of a firearm by a felon. The charges include an allegation that he personally used a handgun in commission of the crime.

During his arraignment at the Antelope Valley Courthouse, the judge set a Feb. 15 court date to schedule a preliminary hearing.

Burkhart -- who faces a maximum sentence of life in prison -- was being held in lieu of $2 million bail, court officials said.

A second suspect who was arrested in connection with the shooting, 27- year-old Alexandria Gentile, was not charged. Jail records show she was released from custody. Prosecutors identified her as Burkhart's girlfriend.

Boy killed in road rage identified

Gor Adamyan was identified as the 4-year-old boy who was tragically killed 10 days before Christmas in a road rage incident in Lancaster.

Burkhart is charged in connection with the fatal shooting that occurred around 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15 in the area of Sierra Highway and East Avenue J.

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Officials say a mother and father were on their way to purchase groceries, with their four-year-old son in the backseat, when Burkhart cut them off and then started chasing them. When the family slowed down, Burkart pulled up alongside their car and started shooting, hitting and killing 4-year-old Gor Adamyan.

Prosecutors said eight shots were fired.

The boy was sitting in the back seat and was struck by gunfire in the upper body. The parents rushed him to a hospital, where he later died.

According to the District Attorney's Office, a camera in the victims' vehicle captured images of the suspect vehicle's license plate. Sheriff's officials said investigators located the suspects' vehicle in the immediate area of the shooting and arrested the man and woman on suspicion of murder.

The District Attorney's Office has denied reports that Burkhart had been recently booked on suspicion of a weapons violation but released under the county's zero-bail policy.

"This report is false," according to the office.