Weapons — Lakeland, FL — reported 2026-07-06
SUMMARY
A Lakeland man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for possessing a firearm used in a Christmas Eve 2020 shooting that killed a 70-year-old grandmother and injured three others.
KEY FACTS
- Incident type: Weapons
- Location: Lakeland, FL
- Date reported: 2026-07-06
- Suspect: not stated
- Victim(s): 4 (1 death, 3 injuries)
REPORTED DETAILS
- The shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2020, outside a Lakeland home.
- Maebelle Cooper, 70, was killed by the gunfire.
- Three other people were also wounded, including Cooper's daughter and her family members.
- Forensic testing through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) determined the handgun was the same firearm used in the Christmas Eve shooting.
- Lewis was legally not allowed to possess a firearm because he was already a convicted felon at the time of the shooting.