The defendant fired shots at multiple people during a family gathering on Easter Sunday in the Gila River Indian Community.
PHOENIX — A Chandler man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing a relative during a family gathering on Easter Sunday 2022.
Francisco Juan Acevedo, 35, was recently sentenced in federal court after he was found guilty of first-degree murder for a shooting reported within the Gila River Indian Community on April 17, 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Arizona.
The defendant had shot multiple victims during a family gathering, resulting in the death of his uncle. Two others were seriously wounded.
Following the conclusion of a trial, Acevedo was found guilty of several offenses. A federal judge sentenced him to two consecutive life sentences, prosecutors said.
Court records show a relative who survived the shooting testified that the defendant looked right at the victim and shot him multiple times.
“Defendant caused maximum harm to his own family for no reason other than he could,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
“The toll of these crimes has a devastating and long-lasting impact on tribal families,” FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day, said in a statement. “Collaborating with our partners, FBI Phoenix will continue to aggressively investigate the most serious offenses on tribal lands and pursue justice for victims in Indian Country.”
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The post Chandler man sentenced to life in prison for murdering his uncle on Easter Sunday appeared first on World Online.
