The man accused of shooting and killing a York County teenager at a Fort Mill market plead guilty in court Tuesday morning.
A judge sentenced Christopher Benjamin Mendez to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Fort Mill Police said Mendez fired his gun at The Peach Stand in the 1300 block of S.C. 160 in Fort Mill back in January.
Upon arrival, officers said they found 19-year-old Karson Bailey Whitesell with a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The state found Mendez mentally competent to stand trial despite the fact that he said he was diagnosed with bipolar level 1 in 2017. Mendez is facing life in prison.
In court on Tuesday, the State gave a recount of what happened the night of the shooting. According to the State, Mendez believed Karson looked at him in a mean way and went to his car loaded a semi-automatic pistol. The State claims he came back in and emptied the pistol, shooting and striking Karson five times.
The state said Mendez put the gun on the counter and waited for police to arrive.
When purchasing the gun, the State said Mendez lied on the application and checked “no” when asked if he had any mental health issues. The State said Mendez was admitted to a mental institution in 2017.
Before his sentencing, Mendez said he wishes he would’ve made “better decisions” and issued an apology.