Pensacola man gets 20 years for shooting man who argued with his fiancée
A judge sentenced a Pensacola man to 20 years in prison Thursday for shooting another man at a Beacon Store gas station in West Pensacola in 2022.
Judge Linda Nobles handed down the sentence to 23-year-old Shannon Wheat after he entered a plea of no contest back in February to attempted second-degree murder and firing missiles into a vehicle after his fiancée began arguing with Anthony Westery.
"Wheat quickly quickly pays for his merchandise and exits the store as Westery is walking and still talking to the female from the Mustang who has now gotten out of the Mustang and is walking toward Westery," court documents say. "Wheat takes a weapon from his waistband and turns and points the firearm at Westery and fires a volley of shots in Westery's direction."
Both attorneys have agreed throughout the court process that Wheat's fiancée began arguing with Westery after he pulled into the gas station off Mobile Highway, and that's when Wheat left the store.
During a hearing in May 2023, prosecutor Ki McInnis told the court that the defendant and the victim are strangers.
"There is recorded evidence from the gas station that shows this defendant discharging a firearm and striking Mr. (Anthony) Westery, and additionally another bystander in the convenience store was also struck," McKinnis said.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Shannon Wheat gets 20 years for Beacon gas station shooting
