A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to almost 28 years in prison for opening fire at a party after guests refused to sing “Happy Birthday” to his girlfriend.
According to nydailynews, Delonte Thomas, a 20-year-old, had taken his girlfriend to a birthday party and requested her to be sung to.
The partygoers had sang to the host, but Delonte asked that his girlfriend, who had her birthday on the same day, be sung to also.
After the guests refused, Delonte stormed out of the party. He returned 20 minutes later with a semi-automatic and fired, around 1:30 AM.
A woman who objected to the guests singing to his girlfriend was singled out and shot at 9 times. 2 others who sustained gunshots were shot 8 times.
All 3 underwent surgery at the hospital and recovered.
Delonte was charged and convicted of attempted murder, and sentenced to 333 months in prison.
He made a mistake, he said, and deserved a 2nd chance, as he is usually a peacemaker. He said:
Everybody makes mistakes, and everybody deserves a second chance,” he said.
I’m the peacemaker, I’m the one to try my best to make it through a situation. I don’t recall having a gun. I don’t recall shooting. I just hope to get some type of mercy here.