Liberty man sentenced for shooting, paralyzing ex-girlfriend
LIBERTY, Mo. — A Liberty, Missouri man is sentenced for the January 2020 shooting of his ex-girlfriend while soothing their newborn baby to sleep.
On Thursday, Clay County Judge Shane T. Alexander sentenced 45-year-old Lonnell James to life in prison plus 20 additional years.
In January, a Clay County jury found James guilty of first-degree assault, first-degree burglary and armed criminal action.
“This life sentence ensures that this defendant who committed senseless acts of violence in Clay County will never be able to do so again,” Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said following the sentencing.
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FOX4 spoke with the victim, Tyra Randle, last year, who said James shot her eight times with a .45 caliber at close range.
Her 11-year-old daughter heard the gunshots and ran to her mother’s aid. Randle and her kids survived, but she was left paralyzed.
Now a paraplegic, Randle spent three days in the ICU on a ventilator before spending months in an Overland Park rehabilitation center where she strengthened her upper body to be able to transfer herself in and out of a wheelchair.
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Randle’s spent the last few years making a difference by becoming an advocate and philanthropist for domestic violence survivors and victims, as well as the disabled community.
She started her own organization called Diamond in the Rough, which sees her as a motivational speaker for different conferences, events, and podcasts. She does that in addition to working full-time at North Kansas City Hospital.
