Man pleads guilty to two shootings

PROVIDENCE—A Providence man has pleaded guilty to a pair of unrelated shootings in the city, including one fatality.

Luis Mercado was sentenced to serve 27 years in prison of a 60-year sentence for the June murder of 17-year-old Virgilio Rojo.

He agreed to plead guilty on Wednesday and the state agreed to dismiss a count of discharging a firearm while committing a crime of violence and a count of possessing a firearm after having committed a crime of violence.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon for the 2006 shooting of Victor Cortes in the parking lot of a club. He was sentenced to serve five years of a 20-year sentence
for that shooting.

The sentences are to be served concurrently.