Texas Man Sentenced to 100 Years for Thanksgiving Shooting Rampage

A judge in Las Vegas has sentenced Christopher McDonnell, a 32-year-old man from Tyler, Texas, to 100 years in prison for his involvement in a two-state shooting rampage on Thanksgiving 2020. The violent spree resulted in the death of Kevin Mendiola Jr., 22, in Nevada and a shootout with authorities in Arizona.

McDonnell pleaded guilty in October to over 20 felonies, including murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, weapon charges, and being a felon illegally in possession of a firearm. On Friday, December 13, Clark County District Judge Tierra Jones imposed the lengthy sentence, which means McDonnell would be eligible for parole in 2120, contingent on time served.

The rampage began on November 26, 2020, when McDonnell, along with his brother Shawn McDonnell, 34, and Shawn's then-wife, Kayleigh Lewis, 29, engaged in a series of apparently random shootings that left Mendiola dead at a convenience store in Henderson, Nevada. The group continued their violent spree into Arizona, where they were involved in additional shootings, including one that injured a police officer.

The trio was eventually arrested after their vehicle rolled over following a police chase. Prosecutors stated that Lewis was driving the car while the McDonnell brothers fired indiscriminately from the windows. Shawn McDonnell and Lewis are currently awaiting trial for their roles in the incident.

The shooting spree concluded near Parker, Arizona, after a chase involving officers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, culminating in a crash and the wounding of Shawn McDonnell by law enforcement.