California Man Who Killed Woman After Being Teased About Voting for Hillary Clinton Sentenced to 35 to Life

Voter’s Edge California/Wikimedia

A California man who was teased at a party for his 2016 support of Hillary Clinton, and then opened fire in a crowded room, was sentenced to 35 years to life in prison this week for killing a woman.

On Jan. 10, 2017, John Kevin McVoy Jr. was spending time at the home of Victor Garcia and Susan Garcia, as well as two other people with whom he played in a garage band at a home in North Long Beach. The conversation became political, and then violent. As a result, both Susan and Victor were shot.

Emily Rasmussen, writing for the Press-Telegram of Long Beach, reported:

Prosecutors said McVoy shot the Garcias after he was teased for saying he voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election and was told by Victor Garcia to leave, according to prosecutors.

During the trial, McVoy’s defense attorney, Ninaz Saffari, said her client shot Victor Garcia in self-defense. Victor Garcia made violent threats to McVoy and picked up a can opener – which McVoy said he thought may have been a knife – from a table when he was shot, she said.

McVoy fired two shots. One bullet struck Victor in the head during a struggle for the gun. Susan was also hit as she held her two-year-old son. Victor survived the shooting, while Susan died at the scene.

This week, a judge sentenced McVoy after he was convicted of murder by a jury. Jurors found the defendant not guilty on lesser charges, including child endangerment and attempted murder.

Garcia was left comatose for months following the shooting. He required years of physical therapy and said he still struggles with every day tasks. The widower and father addressed the court prior to McVoy’s sentencing.

Victor Garcia said, “My son not only lost his mother, but also part of his father.”

Judge Laura Laesekce sentenced McVoy to 15 years to life for the murder of Susan Garcia. Laesekce tacked on an additional 20 years because McVoy used a firearm in Susan’s killing.

“There’s no reason to be pointing a gun,” Laesekce said. “Mr. Garcia should not bear the weight of this crime.”

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