Las Vegas — One of three suspects arrested in Las Vegas after a deadly two-state shooting spree on Thanksgiving 2020, which included the murder of a man at a convenience store in southern Nevada and a gunfight with officers in northeastern Arizona, has pled guilty.
Christopher McDonnell, 32, pleaded guilty Thursday to 23 felonies, including murder, attempted murder, murder conspiracy, weapon charges, and being a felon illegally in possession of a firearm, according to Clark County District Court records.
He had been indicted on 55 charges, and his trial was set for next month. One of the offenses dropped in his plea agreement was a felony charge of performing a terrorist act.
“Christopher decided taking responsibility for his actions was in his best interest,” his attorney, Ryan Bashor, said Friday. McDonnell is still held without bail in Las Vegas. KLAS-TV initially reported on his plea.
McDonnell will face life in prison with parole eligibility ranging from 21 to 164 years, according to prosecutor Michael Schwartzer, who will seek a sentence “beyond (McDonnell’s) natural life term.”
Sentencing is planned for December 13. Bashor stated that he hopes to receive a more favorable punishment.
According to Schwartzer, the plea agreement does not require Christopher McDonnell to testify in a jury trial for his former wife, Kayleigh Lewis, 29, and his older brother, Shawn McDonnell, scheduled to begin on November 4.
Shawn McDonnell, 34, is charged with 54 felonies, including performing a terrorist act, and if convicted, he could face the death penalty.
Lewis, 29, is facing 53 felony charges, including an act of terrorism, but will not face the death penalty.
Both remain in custody without bail. Their defense counsel did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
According to police and prosecutors, the 11-hour spree began on November 26, 2020, and included apparent random shootings that murdered Kevin Mendiola Jr. at a convenience store in Henderson, near Las Vegas, as well as drive-by gunfire that injured numerous others.
It ended in the Colorado River town of Parker, Arizona, after a chase by Arizona Department of Public Safety officers, the collision of a car with a Texas license plate, and the wounding of Shawn McDonnell by troopers wielding assault-style guns.
The three suspects, originally from Tyler, Texas, were returned to Las Vegas and indicted by a grand jury in March 2021.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson stated at the time that the crimes were “heinous and random” terrorist acts designed to instill fear in the public.
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