SAN DIEGO (CNS) — Two men who pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter for the shooting deaths of two men at Mountain View Park were sentenced Friday to state prison.
Elliot Williams and Shannon Bryant, both 34, were tried twice on first- degree murder charges for the shooting deaths of 33-year-old Tony Jackson and 37-year-old Robert Brown on May 6, 2018.
Both men faced life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of all charges, but jurors were unable to reach verdicts in both trials. The men pleaded guilty to the manslaughter counts earlier this year.
Williams was sentenced Friday to 23 years in state prison and Bryant was sentenced to 15 years.
Prosecutors alleged the shooting was sparked by an argument between Williams and Jackson outside Mike's Market on Ocean View Boulevard.
Deputy District Attorney Ted Fiorito said that after the confrontation, Williams called Bryant and the two drove to the park, where Williams shot the victims about an hour later.
Williams' attorney, Nancy Astifo, and Bryant's attorney, Vickie Fernandes, alleged their clients had alibis that were ignored and not properly investigated by police. Astifo also denied that Williams' interaction with Jackson outside the market was an argument.
Ninety minutes after the shooting, Williams made a social media post that read, "Eye Opener." Fiorito argued this was in reference to the shooting, as one of the victims was shot in the eye. The prosecutor also alleged Bryant later texted Williams and urged him to "delete (the) post."
Astifo and Fernandes argued the social media post and Bryant's text message were referring to unrelated topics.
