A Paulding County teenager, who was arrested when he was 16, will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the shooting death of a former high school athlete.
Darnell Isiah Priester, 18, was sentenced Monday to life in prison without parole plus five years for the slaying of 18-year-old Tommy Lee Robinson in 2018, the Paulding County District Attorney’s Office said. Priester was found guilty of 10 felonies, including malice murder, two weeks ago, AJC.com reported at the time.
RELATED: Teen convicted of 10 felonies, including malice murder, in ex-Paulding athlete's death
Credit: Paulding County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Paulding County Sheriff's Office
Following the Aug. 18, 2018 shooting, authorities said it was not gang-related, but prosecutors accused Priester at his sentencing of being associated with the Gangster Disciples. They said he possessed a shank in jail while awaiting his trial, had tattoos referencing the gang and used slang associated with the gang.
He also tried to intimidate a witness in his trial and had discussed plans to seek revenge on that witness for testifying, prosecutors said, citing jail phone calls.
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On the day of the shooting, Priester got into an argument with Robinson, who had recently graduated from Paulding County High School. The dispute led to gunfire, which left Robinson dead. Timothy Nelson, 18, was shot in the leg but survived his injury.
MORE: Teen charged as adult in death of former Paulding athlete
Three others were in the line of fire, but they were not injured. Priester fired at the victims, who all either attended or recently graduated from Paulding High, from a second-story window.
Robinson, who played football in high school, graduated that spring and was headed to college, Channel 2 Action News reported.
ALSO: Recent high school graduate, athlete killed after fight
Priester was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, five counts of aggravated assault and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
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