NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A man who fatally shot another man inside a New Orleans mall on Christmas Eve has been sentenced to life in prison.
The Times-Picayune reports (https://bit.ly/2ryCfkD) Judge Lee Faulkner handed down the mandatory sentence to 28-year-old Gary Francois on Thursday.
He was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of 24-year-old James “Popeye” Vaughn on March 23, after a jury rejected his insanity defense.
Prosecutors say Francois shot the man moments after finishing a purchase at a Footlocker inside Oakwood Center Mall in 2014. Francois shot the victim in the head, hand and back.
Vaughn was pronounced dead at the scene. Francois was arrested in a nearby neighborhood, where he was hiding in the bushes.
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Information from: The Times-Picayune, https://www.nola.com
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