GREENFIELD — A Springfield man who fired 15 bullets at a Greenfield Gardens apartment in July 2022 before fleeing was sentenced to five years in prison after changing his plea to guilty on Tuesday afternoon.

Qadree M. Hutchins, 29, pleaded guilty in Franklin County Superior Court to two counts of threatening to commit a crime, single counts of unlawful possession of ammunition and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, and a subsequent charge of unlawful possession of a firearm.

Assistant District Attorney Erin Aiello explained that at 1:16 p.m. on July 25, 2022, authorities received reports of gunshots at Forbes Court in Greenfield Gardens. Callers reported seeing a Black man with a handgun flee the area in a black vehicle. An investigation revealed that Hutchins, who had been threatening his ex-girlfriend, who is also the mother of his child, fired 15 shots into her apartment door before driving away. No one was home at the time.

Hutchins was arrested later that day by Springfield Police.

When asked by Judge Karen Goodwin if he in fact committed the crimes that Aiello detailed for the court, Hutchins replied, “Yeah, I did.”

Goodwin mentioned she had read a victim-impact statement and would keep that in mind when rendering a decision on the sentencing.

Aiello said it was fortunate that no one was injured.

Hutchins’ defense attorney, Jonah Goldsmith, mentioned his client was struggling with mental health issues but has been making progress while incarcerated.

“[The incident] could be called an impulsive action,” Goldsmith said. “It was not well-thought-out.”

Hutchins will receive 610 days of credit for time served. He had been held without bail due to his perceived danger to the public.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or
413-930-4120.