Gun used in Odessa shooting shows risk when chain of illegal sale starts with home-based hobbyist dealers msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Jan 7, 2021
A West Texas man is going to prison for two years for selling the rifle used in a 2019 shooting spree. Federal prosecutors say Marcus Braziel received the prison term Thursday after admitting to charges last fall.
Braziel admitted to selling the AR-15 to the shooter in 2016 without running the required background check. The shooter had previously attempted to buy a weapon from a sporting good store but was rejected due to his mental health. He used the rifle bought from Braziel to kill seven people and wound 25 others in Midland-Odessa before being killed by police.
Prosecutors say Braziel also failed to run background checks on three other people who are legally prohibited from owning weapons.
Sharon Griffith held up a picture of her son, Joseph, as she stood before Marcus Braziel in a Lubbock federal courtroom.
The photo of her youngest child and only son was a selfie taken at a concert a month before he was gunned down during the Aug. 31, 2019 mass shooting in Midland and Odessa. We didn t know it would be the last photo he would take, she said.
Her son, who she referred to as Joe, left behind two children - a 13-year-old daughter and an 11 year-old-son. He was active in his church and was a good father, husband, son and brother, she said.