A Gary man signed a plea deal this week that drops his attempted murder case in exchange for pleading guilty to a previous domestic violence case.

Kevontay Staples, 23, admitted Oct. 22 to domestic battery resulting in serious bodily injury.

In the domestic battery case, Staples admitted to breaking a woman’s arm between April 29 and May 1, 2022. His original charges included stalking, domestic battery and residential entry.

If a judge accepts the plea, he faces a four-year sentence, with 118 days in prison and the rest on probation. His sentencing hearing is on Dec. 3 before Judge Samuel Cappas.

In the attempted murder case, the victim told Gary police he was trying to buy marijuana when the shooting happened. Officers responded before 9:20 p.m. Sept. 17, 2023, to the 3900 block of Martin Luther King Drive.

Later at the hospital, the victim could only tell police he had been shot in the chest.

Staples told police on Sept. 18 that he just got back with a friend from the store when he saw a man wearing black walking up the block in the 3900 block of Louisiana Street.

Staples said he went inside and then heard banging on the door. The other man asked for “Kendal.” No one lived there, Staples said, and told him to leave.

Staples went to the back door and saw the man was still close, ducking by some nearby cars. Staples said he thought the other man was going to shoot him and fired four shots at him. The man ran away, he said.

When officers showed up, Staples said he didn’t open the door because there was a lot of marijuana in the house.

Police later found 10 pounds of a green “substance” and over $5,000 in cash, according to court filings.

mcolias@post-trib.com