A Las Vegas judge has sentenced a Texas man to 100 years in prison for his role in a two-state shooting on Thanksgiving 2020 in which he killed a man in Nevada and engaged in a shootout with law enforcement in Arizona.
Christopher McDonnell, 32, of Tyler, Texas, pleaded guilty in October to more than 20 felonies, including murder, attempted murder, murder conspiracy, weapon charges and being a felon illegally in possession of a firearm.
Clark County District Judge Tierra Jones sentenced him on Friday to a minimum of 100 years in prison, KLAS-TV reported. Although unlikely to be alive by then, he would be eligible for parole in 2120 with credit for time served.
LAS VEGAS MAN WHO JUMPED A DESK TO ATTACK JUDGE IN COURTROOM SENTENCED TO AT LEAST 26 YEARS IN PRISON
Christopher McDonnell, 32, of Tyler, Texas, pleaded guilty in October to more than 20 felonies. (Henderson Police Department via AP)
McDonnell, his brother Shawn McDonnell, 34, and Shawn McDonnell’s then-wife Kayleigh Lewis, 29, were originally slapped with dozens of charges.
The three of them began an 11-hour rampage on Nov. 26, 2020, when they carried out what appeared to be random shootings that killed Kevin Mendiola Jr., 22, at a convenience store in Henderson, Nevada, and wounded several other people with drive-by gunfire.
EXONERATED WOMAN AWARDED $34M AFTER JURY FINDS LAS VEGAS POLICE FABRICATED EVIDENCE IN 2001 KILLING
Christopher McDonnell would be eligible for parole in 2120 with credit for time served. (iStock)
The group then traveled across the state border to Arizona, where they carried out additional shootings, including one involving a police officer.
The three accused criminals were arrested after their car rolled over.
Prosecutors said Lewis was driving as the two brothers fired indiscriminately out of the windows of the vehicle.
Clark County District Judge Tierra Jones sentenced Christopher McDonnell to a minimum of 100 years in prison. (iStock)
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The shooting rampage ended near Parker, Arizona, following a pursuit involving officers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, a car crash of a vehicle with a Texas license plate and Shawn McDonnell suffering wounds from troopers carrying rifles, according to police.
Shawn McDonnell and Lewis are still awaiting trial.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Texas Tech added yet another massive piece to its 2025 transfer portal class, one that is currently pacing the nation with six commits and the highest ranking in the 247Sports composite.
The Red Raiders’ Saturday morning addition hails from Northern Illinois, a defensive tackle who has been one of the best in the country in Skyler Gill-Howard.
Welcome to @TexasTechFB and @MatadorClubOrg, @SkylerHoward0! pic.twitter.com/04kLs5lxYs
— The Matador Club (@MatadorClubOrg) December 14, 2024
Gill-Howard was PFF’s 14th-highest-graded defensive tackle in the entire country this season, logging 52 tackles, eight tackles for loss and five sacks.
Texas Tech’s newest pledge, Northern Illinois transfer DT Skyler Gill-Howard (@SkylerHoward0), was extremely productive at NIU with 52 tackles, 8 TFL’s, 5 sacks + 26 pressures last season.
Huge addition for @CoachZFitch’s unit.pic.twitter.com/HKmfi4nVvq
— Ben Golan (@BenjaminGolan) December 14, 2024
The Red Raiders have been busy throughout the last week making portal additions. On Friday night, Tech landed commitments from former Mississippi State cornerback Brice Pollock and former Miami (OH) wide receiver Reggie Virgil.
Find more Texas Tech coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
What Texas football is facing after ling the SEC title to Georgia
Columnist Cedric Golden breaks down what wrong in Texas’ Saturday’s 22-19 SEC title loss to Georgia and what it means for the postseason.
There will be some college football action Saturday but Texas football will not be playing.
The Longhorns have some time to recover physically and mentally after a taxing loss to Georgia in the Southeastern Conference championship. Their next game will be Dec. 21 against Clemson in the first round of the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian appreciates the extended layover, though he would have loved the extra week of rest the first-round bye would’ve brought.
“I would love to get as healthy as we can get, but nobody’s going to be 100% healthy at this point of the season,” Sarkisian said last Monday. “Everybody’s got bumps and bruises.”
Texas faced Georgia without its starting left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., who was dealing with a left ankle injury. Banks was selected to the All-SEC first team this past week and is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. The Longhorns will also hope to get wide receiver Isaiah Bond and quarterback Quinn Ewers as close to fully healthy as possible.
No. Texas is the fifth seed in the College Football Playoff and will face Clemson, the 12th seed, in the first round. The winner will face Arizona State in the quarterfinals at the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day. If Texas wins, it will play a semifinal on Jan. 10 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas with a chance to head to the national title game on Jan. 20, 2025, in Atlanta.
Clemson is led by quarterback Cade Klubnik, who has some history with the Austin area. A Westlake alumnus, Klubnik defeated Ewers and Southlake Carroll in the state finals of the 2021 UIL Texas high school football playoffs.
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