LANCASTER, LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa.– A South Carolina man is set to spend up to 44 years in prison after opening fire on a busy Lancaster city street at his brother’s funeral.
Lovelle Weaver was convicted of aggravated assault and multiple other charges for shooting at a fleeing male outside his brother’s funeral at Bethel AME Church on East Strawberry Street in October 2015.
On Monday, Weaver was ordered to serve 18 to 44 years in prison.
“People don’t bring guns to funerals. People bring tears to funerals,” Judge Margaret Miller said while ordering sentence. “A lot of people were put in danger that day.”
Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman, called Weaver a “violent and dangerous individual.”
During Weaver’s trial in December, Fetterman showed jurors a video of the incident that showed Weaver’s intended target running away as Weaver fired five shots. A woman and her young children ducked for cover as Weaver fired shots. The shots were fired after a verbal dispute involving other individuals.
“(The intended target) was running down that street. He never displayed a weapon,” Fetterman said.
In court, Weaver called himself a “family man” who was “just trying to protect my family.”
Weaver was convicted of felony aggravated assault, illegal possession of a firearm, possessing a firearm without a license, and multiple misdemeanor counts. Now, he will serve at least the next 18 years in prison.
