A Las Vegas judge has sentenced Christopher McDonnell, 32, of Tyler, Texas, to 100 years in prison for his role in a Thanksgiving 2020 shooting rampage that left one person dead and several others injured across Nevada and Arizona.
McDonnell pleaded guilty in October to over 20 felony charges, including murd£r, attempted murd£r, conspiracy to commit murd£r, and multiple weapon-related offenses. On Friday, December 13, Clark County District Judge Tierra Jones handed down the sentence, which includes eligibility for parole in 2120, factoring in time served.
The rampage began on November 26, 2020, when McDonnell, his brother Shawn McDonnell, 34, and Shawn’s then-wife, Kayleigh Lewis, 29, launched an 11-hour shooting spree. The trio targeted random victims, killing 22-year-old Kevin Mendiola Jr. at a convenience store in Henderson, Nevada, and injuring several others in drive-by shootings.
The group’s violence extended into Arizona, where they engaged in additional shootings, including a confrontation with law enforcement. The spree ended near Parker, Arizona, when their vehicle crashed during a high-speed chase with Arizona Department of Public Safety officers. Shawn McDonnell was wounded in the shootout that followed.
Authorities say Lewis was driving the car while the McDonnell brothers fired indiscriminately from the windows. Both Shawn McDonnell and Kayleigh Lewis are awaiting trial.
Prosecutors described the attack as senseless and random, with victims targeted without warning. McDonnell’s sentence reflects the severity of his actions, ensuring he will remain behind bars for the rest of his life unless granted parole far into the future.
