The Buffalo man who fired a gun in to a crowd, killing a 14-year-old boy on August 12, 2014, could spend his remaining days in prison. Joseph Gant, 29, was sentenced to 35 years to life for the murder of Ray Patterson during a fight between two girls outside a Buffalo housing complex last summer.Defense Attorney Sam Davis told the court "for the most part," Gant has led "a peaceful life." Davis asked the judge to consider the way his client has lived his life.
"This is a man, who if need be, can be rehabilitated, judge. He's not a criminal. He's a person who committed a crime due to the circumstances in which he found himself, judge. We still vehemently believe that he was defending his life on that day," Davis said.
Gant, a truck driver, apologized to Patterson's family. But Erie County Court Judge Michael D'Amico appeared unimpressed, pointing out the jury rejected his story.
"I'm sorry for the families who lost their kid," Gant said in court, tearfully.
Afterwards, Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita said shooting someone in the back is murder, not self-defense.
Gant was also convicted of three counts of attempted murder for wounding three other teenagers. Davis says his client will appeal.