Man sentenced to 40 years in 2013 shooting at Applebee's

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man was sentenced Wednesday afternoon to a minimum mandatory of 40 years in prison for a 2013 shooting at an Applebee's restaurant on Jacksonville's Westside, the State Attorney's Office said. 

Anthony Lamar Simmons, 25, was convicted last month of two counts of second-degree attempted murder and four counts of attempted armed robbery.

In August 2013, two people were in front of Applebee’s on 103rd Street when Simmons approached them and asked for gas money. After one of them gave Simmons some money, he walked away. Simmons returned shortly after, pulled out a gun, and demanded their wallets and cellphones. Simmons then shot one of the victims in the chest and another in the face before he fled the scene. The two victims later recovered from their injuries.