A Lancaster man will serve at least 22.5 years in prison for killing a young city father in January.
Friday morning, Lancaster County President Judge Dennis Reinaker jailed Stefon Landing for 22.5 to 45 years for the Jan. 4 shooting that left 22-year-old Devonte Gantt dead.
A local jury convicted Landing last month of third-degree murder following a week-long trial.
Assistant District Attorneys Mark Fetterman and Maria Cusick prosecuted the case.
At sentencing, Fetterman told the judge that Landing has showed no remorse since the shooting that also wounded 22-year-old Amos Clay.
“He spit in the face of the judicial system,” Fetterman said. “He doesn’t care about following the law. He cares about himself."
Landing, at the urging of Judge Reinaker, turned to Gantt and Clay’s families and made a statement.
“I didn’t plan for none of this to happen,” he said. “I wish everything would’ve went a different way.”
Reinaker said he was troubled that Landing pleaded guilty, just three weeks before the killing, to robbery and illegal possession of a firearm charges.
"It's hard to imagine (that) didn't have some impact on you," Reinaker told Landing.
Ann Gantt, Devonte's grandmother, gave an eloquent statement of how Devonte should be remembered as a "gentle soul," who "was just on the cusp of figuring the father role out."
"You robbed me and my family," she told Landing. "I felt no remorse from you."
Regarding the shootings, Clay told police:
The three men met in the 700 block of High Street where Landing shot Gantt. Clay then pulled out a gun and returned fire, shooting Landing. Clay was shot in the leg.
Gantt was found dead in a backyard on the block. Police found Clay wounded. Landing went to a local hospital with a torso wound.
Lancaster city police Detective Nathan Nickel filed charges.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright