Las Vegas man sentenced to prison for random killing on I-15
A Las Vegas man who fatally shot a woman and injured her husband while the couple drove on Interstate 15 was sentenced Monday to 32 years to life in prison.
At least six bullets ripped through the couple’s car in what authorities called a random shooting on the southbound lanes of the freeway near Charleston Boulevard.
Kenneth McDonald, 31, pleaded guilty in January to murder, attempted murder and discharging a firearm from within a vehicle for the October 2016 shooting that left 48-year-old Tracey Donahue dead and her husband injured.
“This is something I’ll regret for the rest of my life,” McDonald told the judge on Monday.
Tom Donahue, 55, called 911 while his wife was slumped over and bleeding from her neck.
Prosecutors said at least two other cars were struck by bullets, but no one else was injured.
Defense attorney Scott Coffee said McDonald was high on PCP when he started firing from a handgun.
McDonald told District Judge Douglas Herndon that he “always will be deeply remorseful.” The defendant said he accepted his punishment and asked forgiveness from the victims’ family.
While Tom Donahue sat in the courtroom gallery in tears, Chief Deputy District Attorney Giancarlo Pesci read a letter from the couple’s son, Alex, who wrote that his mother “resembled home.”
“That’s not there anymore,” Pesci said. “He doesn’t have that. He’s never getting that back. That’s something this defendant took from him.”
The prosecutor also called McDonald’s expression of remorse “admirable.”
Less than 20 minutes after the couple were shot, several people began calling 911 from the CVS Pharmacy at 8116 Las Vegas Blvd. South, near Windmill Lane, according to an arrest report. A man armed with two handguns had walked into the store.
As employees and patrons ran toward the back of the CVS and funneled out an exit door, the armed man approached a female employee near the pharmacy counter. He pulled his pants down, held up one of his guns and demanded a sexual act.
The man who had walked into the CVS with two guns exited the store several minutes later, no longer armed, according to the arrest report. He did not comply with police.
With a police dog’s help, McDonald was taken into custody. A handgun and a BB gun were found in the men’s restroom.
The handgun, which held 18 rounds, was empty. At least 17 shell casings were collected from inside the car police found in the drugstore parking lot.
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.