A man from Texas has been handed a 100-year prison sentence for a shooting spree that lasted 11 hours, took place across two states, resulted in the death of one individual, and left several others injured.
Christopher McDonnell, 32, has been convicted for his involvement in a string of shootings that took place in Arizona and Nevada on Thanksgiving 2020. The charges brought against him included over 20 felonies, such as murder, attempted murder, murder conspiracy, weapon charges, and illegally possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to KLAS-TV, Clark County District Judge Tierra Jones handed down a sentence of a minimum of 100 years in prison for McDonnell. It was noted that with credit for time already served, he could potentially be eligible for parole in 2120.
Trio of Texans involved in Thanksgiving 2020 shooting rampage
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McDonnell’s brother, Shawn McDonnell, 34, and Shawn McDonnell’s then-wife, Kayleigh Lewis, 29, were by his side. Lewis was facing numerous charges.
According to The Associated Press, the shootings started in Nevada on November 26, 2020. It was reported that Kevin Mendiola Jr., 22, was fatally shot at a convenience store in Henderson, near Las Vegas. The incident also involved drive-by gunfire, which resulted in injuries to several other individuals.
After that, they proceeded to Arizona where they were involved in multiple shooting incidents, one of which involved a police officer. According to prosecutors, Lewis was behind the wheel while Christopher and Shawn McDonnell randomly fired shots from the car windows. Both Lewis and Shawn McDonnell are currently awaiting trial for their actions.
The rampage concluded in Parker, Arizona, close to the Colorado River, according to law enforcement. The Arizona Department of Public Safety engaged in a pursuit that ended when the vehicle flipped over. Troopers shot Shawn McDonnell, and subsequently, all three individuals were apprehended.
‘Our lives will never be the same after this,’ victim’s family tells the court
The victim’s family, Kevin Mendiola Jr., spoke in court on Friday. Kevin Mendiola’s brother, Christevin, and girlfriend, Jayde Libby, were both shot during the incident. According to the family, Kevin sheltered Libby from gunshots.
“He was a hero that night and now, he’s our angel,” father Kevin Mendiola Sr. told the court.
“He did the most heroic thing one could ever do,” Libby said. “He saved me, and I’ll never know why.”
“The hurt, the pain, the guilt and the stress that these three individuals put on my family,” Christevin Mendiola said of those involved in the shooting. “Our lives will never be the same after this.”
Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Swartzer made a solemn statement in court, expressing his astonishment at the level of terror that the crime had inflicted on the community. He emphasized that in all his years of experience, he had never encountered a crime that had such a chilling impact on the people living in the area.
Judge Jones emphasized the importance of improved mental health support in this case.
“What can the court do to ensure that there’s not going to be other victims?” Jones said. “That there’s not going [to be] someone else who has to suffer the loss from all the people that I’ve heard from today.”
Christopher McDonnell, who pleaded guilty in October, claimed that he was mentally ill. His public defender, Ryan Bashor, described him as a “troubled, troubled person” and requested a sentence of 21 to 52 years. Prosecutors, however, pushed for the maximum penalty, as reported by a Las Vegas news outlet.
During Friday’s hearing, McDonnell expressed his acceptance of full responsibility for his own actions and acknowledged the court’s role in delivering justice.