13-year-old sentenced to 12 years in prison after deadly shooting of a Sonic Drive-In employee

DALLAS — A 13-year-old was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years behind bars after a Sonic employee in Keene, Texas, was shot to death earlier this year.

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The 13-year-old was 12 at the time of the shooting, according to KDFW. He shot the employee multiple times with an AR-15 rifle last May.

Matthew Davis, 32, was the employee who was shot and killed, according to USA Today. Davis reportedly got into a fight with the boy’s uncle, Angel Gomez. Gomez was also arrested in connection with the shooting and is facing charges.

The sentence was issued by a judge after evidentiary hearings were conducted about the punishment the boy should face, Amy Pardo of the Johnson County Attorney’s office said, according to The Associated Press.

The boy will start his sentence in the custody of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, the AP reported. He will be moved to the state’s adult prison system later on.

He was facing sentences ranging from probation to 40 years behind bars. Last month, a jury found him to have been involved in delinquent conduct. According to the AP, that is the juvenile equivalent of a guilty verdict.

The 13-year-old’s name is not being released due to his age, KDFW reported.