Texas man gets 100 years in prison for shootings that killed one person and injured others in Nevada and Arizona

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas judge sentenced a Texas man to 100 years in prison for his role in a two-state shooting on Thanksgiving Day 2020 that included the murder of a man in Nevada and a shootout with authorities in Arizona.

Christopher McDonnell, 32 years old, He pleaded guilty in October. to more than 20 felonies, including murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, weapons charges and being a felon in unlawful possession of a firearm.

Clark County District Judge Tierra Jones sentenced him Friday to a minimum of 100 years in prison. KLAS-TV reported. If 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 say the trio began an 11-hour attack on Nov. 26, 2020 that included seemingly random shootings that killed Kevin Mendiola Jr., 22, at a convenience store in Henderson, near Las Vegas. , and shooting from vehicles that injured. several other people.

The group then continued to Arizona, where there were more shootings, including one involving a police officer. The three were arrested after their car overturned.

Prosecutors said Lewis was the driver when the two brothers fired indiscriminate shots out of the vehicle’s windows. Shawn McDonnell and Lewis are awaiting trial.

The shooting ended near the Colorado River town of Parker, Arizona, after a chase involving Arizona Department of Public Safety officers, the crash of a car with Texas plates, and the injury of Shawn McDonnell. of police armed with assault rifles. , the police said.