LANCASTER, Pa. — A Lancaster County man convicted of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree homicide and two counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied structure was sentenced to life in prison plus 9-20 years Friday morning in Lancaster County Court.
Shawn Nasim Connelly, 22, was convicted after a three-day trial in February for shooting and killing 44-year-old Anthony Marshall and striking another victim in the 600 block of Lafayette St. on Father’s Day in 2019, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office.
According to evidence presented at trial, officers dispatched to the scene in 2019 located two victims, one with a gunshot wound to his chest and the other with gunshot wounds to his arm.
Both victims were transported to Lancaster General Hospital, where Marshall was pronounced dead shortly after.
Authorities discovered that both victims were at a birthday party in the 600 block of Lafayette St., but were told to leave after an altercation occurred.
The altercation involved another male and Connelly, which Marshall and the other victim attempted to break up.
After leaving the party, the victims and four men, including Connelly, crossed paths near Kunzler Meat Co.
The parties appeared to exchange words and Connelly removed a firearm from his waistband, firing five shots at the two victims.
Surveillance videos from Kunzler Meat Co. and another home showed the shooting and the suspects fleeing.
Lancaster County Judge Thomas Sponaugle ordered sentence and the court heard statements from three of Anthony Marshall’s family members.
Defense asked for the additional charges to run concurrently with the mandatory life imprisonment, noting the defendant’s rough childhood.
Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman asked for each additional charge to run consecutively with the life imprisonment.
“I don’t know why senseless murders like this happen in the world, but they do,” Fetterman said. “It robs victims of their life and families of their love.”
Sponaugle gave Connelly one last opportunity to speak, and the defendant declined; Sponaugle said he could not find one instance of the defendant expressing any kind of remorse throughout this case before ordering sentence.
“That’s the sentence of the court and you have the rest of your life to think about what you’ve done,” Sponaugle said.
Assistant District Attorney Caitlin Blazier assisted with the prosecution.
