Sarasota man convicted for fatal Ackerman Park shooting sentenced to 45 years in prison

A Sarasota man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison in connection to a fatal shooting in December 2021 at Ackerman Park that killed an 18-year-old Riverview High School graduate and star athlete.

Nyquan Priester, 22, stood trial in mid-February and was convicted by a jury of aggravated manslaughter with a firearm and shooting from a vehicle within 1,000 feet of a person.

On Monday, Sarasota Circuit Court Judge Thomas Krug sentenced Priester to 30 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter with a firearm and 15 years in prison to be served consecutively for shooting from a vehicle within 1,000 feet of a person. Krug also entered an order for restitution but has yet to set an amount.

Previously: Man takes plea deal, to testify against 2nd suspect in connection to Ackerman Park shooting

In recent court news: Johnson & Johnson baby powder trial: Sarasota woman testifies 'life has been a nightmare'

Three eyewitnesses who were in the car the night of Dec. 29, 2021, testified that Priester stuck a black revolver outside the window from the backseat of a gold Hyundai and fired multiple shots into a crowd of roughly 50 people at Ackerman Park.

One bullet fatally struck 18-year-old Dylan Jenkins, a graduate of Riverview High School and a star football and track athlete, who was home from college for winter break. He was pronounced dead by paramedics at a nearby public library parking lot.

“Dylan Jenkins, the victim in this case, was a young scholar-athlete whose prowess on the track and the football field was matched by his kindness, intelligence, and good humor," Assistant State Attorney Karen Fraivillig said in the news release. "He had just completed his first college semester in Michigan when he met with approximately 50 young friends and acquaintances at Ackerman Park to celebrate their Christmas break. Dylan was gunned down by the defendant in an act that was not only senseless and cowardly but showed a callous disregard for human life."

The three witnesses mostly corroborated their stories on the stand, with key details aligning as they described going to the Ackerman Park gathering in the late hours of Dec. 29. Once they arrived, the group walked around for a short time before deciding to leave, they testified.

When they got back to the car, according to the witnesses, Priester sat in the back passenger seat and allegedly asked about a gun that one of the other witnesses had brought. They testified that they heard him say he was going to "air this b**** out" before shooting the gun outside the window, the group taking off following the shooting.

Victim's family, friends, community seek justice for Dylan Jenkins

"Dylan was not just a former player, he was a beacon of hope, a symbol of resilience, and a cherished member of our community," Herb Haygood, Madonna University's Head Football Coach, wrote in his victim impact statement for Priester's sentencing.

Haygood was among 22 individuals to submit victim impact statements, according to court documents, with letters written by Jenkins' aunts and uncles, his grandparents, Jenkins' coaches, a guidance counselor from Riverview High School, and some of his friends and community members.

Haygood had come to know Jenkins during his time at Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan, where the 18-year-old had decided to pursue his dreams, according to the letter.

Haygood, like the others who wrote to Krug for the sentencing, described Jenkins' passion and talent for sports in his letter but also focused on Jenkins' character and his legacy.

Haywood wrote that his legacy is connected to the "warmth of his smile, the kindness of his heart, and his unwavering commitment to spreading joy wherever he went."

Jenkins was among the more than 21,000 people to have been killed by gun violence in 2021, according to records kept by The Gun Violence Archive, an organization that collects data related to gun violence in the United States since 2013.

"Dylan’s life was ended by a senseless act of violence that not only took his life but desolated our family," Amanda Elam, Jenkins' aunt, wrote. "We were robbed of final goodbyes, one last hug and kiss, hope for the future, and a sense of safety in the very town we all group up in. Our faith in humanity was stolen."

Another letter to Krug pointed to the number of children and teens killed by guns and questioned what we as a community, as law enforcement, as the court and judges are doing to address the issue. How, as a collective, society continues to give "free range" to individuals, seemingly indicating it's OK to shoot someone, to buy a gun illegally off the street, to fire the gun into a crowd and drive away with friends, to beat the system by telling on others.

"What are we telling these young people?" the writer questioned, adding that it is always the good and the great who are taken too soon before getting to experience life, just like Jenkins.

Carnage on Florida roads: Deadly weekend raises concerns about highway safety

More: Sarasota jury hears opening statements in wrongful death trial against Johnson & Johnson

In letter after letter, each person touched on how Dylan Jenkins was more than just a talented athlete with a bright future ahead of him.

He was a friend to all he met. He was a bright light in the lives he touched. He was someone who found joy in making others smile and laugh. He was a steadfast pillar of selflessness, positivity and resilience.

For his family, friends and community, the loss of Jenkins has left a hole in their lives and a seat at the table that will never be filled.

Jenkins' family recalled in their letters the moment they learned of Dylan's death, with one family member saying the "phone call is forever etched in my memory."

The family remembers the 18-year-old as being "the light" at family gatherings, recalling his infectious laugh and that he was always cracking jokes, and that he was destined for great things.

Chris Elam, Amanda Elam's husband and Jenkins' uncle, described how his nephew's death not only affected the family but also Jenkins' friends, especially those who were there with him the night of the shooting and had to see their friend bleed out in front of them.

"Your Honor, what are those young adults supposed to do with that? I'm not an expert on PTSD but I'm guessing this event would qualify for being a cause of it," Chris Elam said. "These were good kids that many in our own family watched growing up playing football alongside Dylan. It's not fair that they will forever carry this."

Riverview High School's head football coach Joshua Smithers had known Jenkins' since he was a little kid, having been close friends with Jenkins' mother.

The football coach recalled how Jenkins had appreciated relationships beyond social media, and how he found joy in making people smile and feel good about themselves.

Smithers wrote that the world has lost a bright light, a light it needed.

"I feel bad for all those people in our world who need a spark of sunshine in their lives who will never have a chance to meet the brightest spark, Dylan Jenkins," Smithers wrote.

Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on X: @GabrielaSzyman3.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Judge gives Sarasota man 45 years in prison for Ackerman Park shooting