LAS VEGAS — A judge in Las Vegas sentenced a Texas man to 100 years in prison for his involvement in a two-state shooting rampage on Thanksgiving 2020 that resulted in the death of a man in Nevada and a confrontation with authorities in Arizona.
Christopher McDonnell, 32, pleaded guilty in October to over 20 felonies, including murder, attempted murder, murder conspiracy, weapon charges, and illegal possession of a firearm as a felon.
Clark County District Judge Tierra Jones sentenced him on Friday to a minimum of 100 years in prison, KLAS-TV reported. If he’s still alive, he would be eligible for parole in 2120 with credit for time served.
McDonnell of Tyler, Texas, his brother Shawn McDonnell, 34, and Shawn McDonnell’s then-wife, Kayleigh Lewis, 29, originally faced dozens of charges.
Police and prosecutors state that the trio initiated an 11-hour rampage on Nov. 26, 2020, which included random shootings resulting in the death of Kevin Mendiola Jr., 22, at a convenience store in Henderson, near Las Vegas, and drive-by shootings that injured several other individuals.
The group then proceeded into Arizona, where further shootings occurred, including one involving a police officer. All three individuals were apprehended after their vehicle overturned.
Prosecutors revealed that Lewis was driving while the two brothers fired recklessly from the vehicle’s windows.
Shawn McDonnell and Lewis are currently awaiting trial.
The shooting rampage concluded near the Colorado River town of Parker, Arizona, following a pursuit involving officers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the car crash with a Texas license plate, and the shooting of Shawn McDonnell by troopers armed with assault-style rifles, according to police reports.
