A Texas man known as “Skeletor” due to his distinctive face tattoos has been sentenced to 100 years in prison after pleading guilty to a series of violent crimes, including murder and attempted murder, stemming from a deadly shooting rampage across Nevada and Arizona in November 2020.
Christopher McDonnell, 32, was convicted of more than 20 felonies, including charges of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, weapon offenses, and possession of a firearm by a felon. His crime spree, which lasted over 11 hours, involved randomly shooting at people while driving through Henderson, Texas, alongside his brother, Shawn McDonnell, and his then-wife, Kayleigh Lewis, 29.
The violence culminated in the death of 22-year-old Kevin Mendiola Jr., who was fatally shot while attempting to protect his girlfriend, Jayde Libby, from the gunfire. “The hurt, the pain, the guilt, and the stress that these three individuals put on my family… our lives will never be the same,” Mendiola’s brother, Christevin Mendiola, said in a victim impact statement to the court.
Libby, Mendiola’s girlfriend, also spoke, expressing her gratitude for Mendiola’s sacrifice: “He saved me, and I’ll never know why.”
The trio’s crime spree ended when they crashed their vehicle after leading Arizona state troopers on a high-speed chase. During the pursuit, one officer was injured.
Many of the victims who survived the attack recalled McDonnell’s skull-like tattoos, which were a key detail in identifying him. One survivor, who was targeted outside a 7-Eleven, referred to McDonnell as “Skeletor,” a nickname that became widely known after the shooting. The victim’s daughter recounted the harrowing moment, saying, “I said, ‘Please don’t shoot. I don’t have any money. You can take my car. You can take anything you want. Please don’t shoot.'”
She also described McDonnell’s chilling statements, including claims that he was “God” and that an “upcoming war” was coming.
In a written statement, McDonnell expressed remorse, stating, “I take full responsibility for my own wrongdoings, and I appreciate the courts for administering justice.”
McDonnell’s sentencing brings an end to the violent rampage that terrorized the communities across two states and caused immeasurable pain to the victims and their families.
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