JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man who pleaded guilty to charges connected the death of a man shot and killed during a brawl outside a Jacksonville beach bar in June 2018 was sentenced Friday to 17 months in jail.
Shaquille Walker, 26, was charged with evidence tampering and carrying a concealed weapon in the shooting death of 23-year-old Leon Bennett.
During the sentencing hearing, Walker stood up in court and apologized to Bennett’s mother.
“I’m sorry for your loss," he told the crying woman. "I wish this never happened. It wasn’t supposed to happen. I wish everything could be different. I’m sorry.”
Bennett was shot during a brawl with a group of men, including Walker and Jose Lebron. Walker and Lebron, fled to Hawaii after Bennett’s death, but surrendered to authorities after warrants were issued for their arrest. Neither of them was charged with Bennett’s death.
Since Walker has been held since shortly after the shooting, he will only serve 30 additional days to complete his 17-month sentence. He will then serve two years of probation and was ordered to pay Bennett’s mother $2,000 in restitution.
Neither Bennett’s mother nor Walker’s family wanted to talk about the sentencing, but on Thursday Walker’s loved ones told Circuit Judge Bruce Anderson Jr. that Walker was the father of two and a Merchant Marine.
Lakea Pringle, Bennett’s fiancee, mother of his two young boys, spoke in court on Thursday. She said Bennett’s last words were: “Tell my boys I love them.”
Lebron was sentenced earlier this year to one year in jail after pleading guilty to evidence tampering. Lebron was driving a car involved in the 2018 shooting that was found abandoned in Central Florida.