JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville man was sentenced Friday to 40 years in prison for the 2014 drive-by shooting death of a 14-year-old boy.
According to the State Attorney's Office, William Brown was 18-years-old when he and two others opened fire in the parking lot of the Johnie Walker Community Center in Northwest Jacksonville.
Recommended Videos
James Thomas, 14, was struck in the back of the head while running away from the gunfire as men fired more than 15 shots from the car. Police said Thomas was on a mandatory swimming break at the community center's pool.
Brown was found guilty of second-degree murder in May.
Le'Glenn Schofield, 19, was also charged with murder in Thomas' death. Michael Wiggins, 17, was charged as an accessory.
Police said Wiggins was driving a car that pulled up, and Schofield and Brown fired shots from inside the car. Police said Thomas was shot once, and the fatal bullet came from Brown's gun.
Thomas' older brother, 24-year-old Carlton Hardaman, was shot and killed in February 2013. Thomas' mother had just come back from court, where a man was convicted of killing Hardaman, when Thomas was shot.