Las Vegas, NV – Kegia Mitchell, the former security guard convicted of fatally shooting a customer outside a 7-Eleven store in Las Vegas, was sentenced on Thursday, July 10. According to Clark County court records, Mitchell, 33, was sentenced to five to 14 years in prison following an Alford plea to felony charges of involuntary manslaughter and assault with a deadly weapon.
An Alford plea allows a defendant to maintain their innocence while accepting the conviction, acknowledging that the prosecution has enough evidence for a guilty verdict.
The Incident
The incident occurred in August 2020 when Thomas Martin, 56, was fatally shot outside the convenience store. Mitchell was working as an armed security guard and was enforcing the store’s policy of limiting the number of customers entering the store, a measure many businesses adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reports indicated that Martin became upset when he was not allowed to enter the store before other customers and threatened to harm Mitchell. This led to a confrontation between the two, where they reportedly started pushing each other.
The Prosecution’s Argument
During the sentencing, Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Hamner emphasized the details of the altercation. He described how Martin had cut the line, but Mitchell escalated the situation by grabbing his shirt, which led to him asking her to let go. Hamner stated that Mitchell “ramped it up a whole other level” by pulling out a loaded firearm and pressing it against Martin’s face.
Hamner further noted that Martin was not stealing and that the altercation stemmed from a disagreement over the line-cutting, not an attempt to commit theft.
Defense Argument
Mitchell’s defense attorney, Caitlin McAmis, argued that Mitchell was under significant pressure to enforce COVID-19 restrictions and acted out of a fight-or-flight response. McAmis said that Mitchell only drew her weapon after Martin allegedly lunged at her, swatting at her and escalating the situation further. McAmis suggested that the situation could have been handled differently if Mitchell had not felt threatened.
Mitchell’s Remorse
Mitchell expressed remorse for the shooting during the sentencing. While she did not deny her role in the incident, her attorneys argued that the stress of managing the store during the pandemic and the escalating confrontation led to her impulsive decision to use the gun.
Mitchell’s sentencing brings closure to the case, but the tragic incident highlights the heightened tensions and challenges that arose during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for those in positions of authority like security personnel who were tasked with enforcing restrictions. Mitchell now faces a prison term of five to 14 years for her role in the fatal shooting of Thomas Martin.
