San Jose, CA- A man from San Jose received a 15-year prison sentence for shooting an unarmed Airbnb guest.
Prosecutors announced on Thursday that a man from San Jose has been sentenced to over a decade in prison for shooting an unarmed college student at an Airbnb in 2022.
A judge has sentenced 68-year-old Mark Henry Waters to 15 years, as announced by Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen. In March, Waters was found guilty of assault with a semiautomatic firearm in relation to the incident that occurred in October 2022.
Throughout the trial, Waters maintained that the firearm discharged unintentionally. During the sentencing, he requested the court to consider probation as a suitable sentence.
Rosen described the sentence as a reasonable outcome for a senseless crime in a statement released on Thursday.
“Gun violence in our community will be met with the severest criminal consequences,” the district attorney. “While this victim will not be healed by his attacker getting more than a decade in prison, we hope this serious sentence gives him and this county a sense of justice and relief that a dangerous person is off our streets.”
Prosecutors state that the victim, who is 21 years old, was in the process of crossing the street from the Airbnb to grab dinner when Waters approached him, brandishing a gun aimed at his chest.
The victim ran, but Waters yelled, “So you think you can run?” before shooting him in the leg. A devastating injury occurred during the incident as the victim’s femur was shattered.
A security video captured the disturbing incident, revealing Waters relentlessly chasing after the victim. Shockingly, he then proceeded to aim and fire his gun at the fleeing individual, who had his back turned. After the shooting incident, authorities confiscated several firearms from Waters’ residence.
The District Attorney’s office initially considered a hate crime charge against Waters, given the racial difference between him and the victim.
During the victim’s hospital stay and subsequent physical therapy, prosecutors have noted that he still experiences challenges with walking for an extended time as reported by CBS News.