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A Seattle man has been sentenced to prison for murdering a local activist.

that Patrick Cooney will spend 35 years behind bars for murdering activist Elijah Lewis and injuring his younger nephew.

Lewis’ older sister spoke during the sentencing.

“There are no words strong enough to fully capture the devastation you’ve caused,” she said, according to KIRO 7. “You didn’t just take a life, you robbed the world of a man whom meant everything to those who knew him. You stole a potential father, a potential husband, and a guiding light to a young boy who looked up to him with admiration. You didn’t aim just to kill a man. You almost took my boy’s life, too. The trauma left behind in his heart is something no child should ever carry.”

Cooney’s mother also spoke.

“It makes me sad to know he will spend so much time in prison,” she said, reported KIRO 7. “I hope he will be released during my lifetime. Patrick is struggling with mental health right now, as are other members of our family. We know life will never be the same for the family of Elijah Lewis. Our family is so sorry for your loss.”

Seattle man found guilty for mudering activist

In February, a jury found Cooney guilty of the road rage shooting that led to the death of 23-year-old Lewis, a Seattle community activist. Cooney was also convicted of first-degree assault for injuring Lewis’ 9-year-old nephew.

The shooting happened on April 1, 2023, when Cooney allegedly fired five shots at Lewis’s car from his scooter. While prosecutors argued that Cooney acted out of anger, his defense team claimed he shot at Lewis in self-defense.

More details on the shooting

Officials say it all started around 5 p.m. when Lewis was picking up his nephew to take him to a monster truck rally for his birthday. Surveillance footage from a nearby store showed Lewis’s car merging into traffic in front of Cooney, who was driving down East Pine Street on an electric scooter.

According to court documents, Lewis’s nephew heard Cooney call out. In response, Lewis told Cooney to “shut up.” The video then captured Cooney moving in front of Lewis’s car as it tried to pass him. Cooney appeared to attempt to kick the front passenger side of the vehicle.

Witnesses reported that Cooney dropped his scooter and shot four or five times as Lewis’s car drove away down Broadway. Cooney’s defense argued that the car came close to hitting him, prompting him to draw his gun in self-defense.

Four of the shots struck the vehicle, with one fatally hitting Lewis in the chest. His nephew was also injured—one bullet struck his leg, while another became lodged in his jacket hood.