Long Beach man convicted of murder in 2023 shooting
Ronnie Sutton, 52, was found guilty after a trial of shooting and killing 33-year-old Shawn Usher after an argument.
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A Long Beach man was convicted on murder charges Thursday in a 2023 shooting.
Ronnie Sutton, 52, was found guilty of shooting and killing 33-year-old Shawn Usher after an argument. Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said Sutton pulled out a gun during the argument and fired six rounds, striking Usher five times. He was transported to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital and died from the gunshot wounds after they pierced his lung and heart, the DA said.
"Ronnie Sutton had every opportunity to walk away from an argument he had with Shawn Usher, but instead he chose to escalate the situation into a brutal attack," Donnelly said in a news release. "Not only did he shoot Shawn six times, but he also pursued the victim as he tried to run away and then struck him with his weapon twice in the head while he was dying on the ground."
The deadly shooting took place at 10:30 p.m. on April 7, 2023. Sutton was riding a bicycle through the Sycamore Court parking lot in the Channel Park Homes in Long Beach and rode past Usher, who was standing in the lot next to his vehicle, according to the DA.
After a verbal argument, Sutton pulled a gun out of his jacket and fired at Usher, who ran away. Sutton gave chase and continued to shoot until Usher fell to the ground. After he was on the ground, Sutton struck Usher in the head with the gun twice and then rode away.
Donnelly said Sutton hid the gun in a bush on the side of a house on East Market Street. It was recovered by Long Beach police officers a few days later. Sutton was arrested by the Nassau County and Long Beach police departments on April 19, 2023.
Sutton is expected to be sentenced on Oct. 3. He faces a maximum of up to 40 years to life in prison.
