ST PAUL, Minn. — Editor's note: The video above first aired on June 14, during deliberations for Devondre Phillips' co-defendant Terry Brown.
One of two gunmen convicted in the deadly Truck Park Bar shooting in St. Paul in 2021 will serve a 29-year sentence for his role in the terror that unfolded that terrible night.
Ramsey County District Court Judge Carolina Lamas levied the 346-month sentence against Devondre Phillips, who was found guilty on eight counts of attempted second-degree murder in February. Minnesota law calls for Phillips to serve two-thirds of that sentence, just over 19 years, with the rest on supervised release.
Phillips was given credit by the judge for 622 days already served, meaning the time he spends in prison will be just over 17 years.
Prosecutors say Phillips wounded eight innocent patrons early in the morning of Oct. 10, 2021, after engaging in a shootout with Terry Brown. Brown was convicted of second-degree murder for the death of 27-year-old Marquisha "Kiki" Wiley and will be sentenced in August.
Before Phillips was sentenced a number of people stood up in the courtroom to deliver victim impact statements. Among them was the mother of Marquisha Wiley, who was out for a night of fun with friends when she became caught in the crossfire.
"Our family is an extremely forgiving family, we are realistic and no one is perfect. We know Phillips did not directly shoot Kiki, but his actions cause her death," Beth Wiley told the courtroom. "It's clear that night is a joke to Phillips. He has zero remorse and clearly does not care about our daughter being murdered or anyone else injured that night. That is what our family will never be able to forgive."
The father of shooting victim Nicholas Guerrero told the courtroom that his son found it too painful to attend the sentencing, but he wanted to speak on the impact of that night. Todd Guerrero told the judge his son still carries bullet fragments inside his lip and wrist and that the mental trauma has impacted the entire family.
"This selfish, stupid act has affected many people, in many tragic ways, all of them who have no connection whatsoever to Mr. Phillips or Mr. Brown," said Todd Guerrero.
When given a chance to speak, Devondre Phillips apologized to his victims.
"I've lost loved ones to violence and circumstances of violence. It doesn't give me the right to do what I did, and I know I'm wrong for putting myself in the situation I put myself in," Phillips said. "Even though I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make up for this situation, I just want to say I'm truly sorry for what occurred, and I'm here ready to stand responsible for my actions."
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi thanked his prosecution team and the investigators who took a complex incident and built a case that would lead to a conviction.
"We are thankful for the jury’s verdict of guilty and the sentence handed down by the Judge today, which recognizes the immense devastation caused by Mr. Phillips to all the victims in this case and our entire community," Choi said in a released statement. "We do not tolerate gun violence in our community. We hope that today brings some measure of justice to all of those who still suffer the impact of that horrifying night."
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