A Kansas City man will serve 50 years in prison for shooting and killing another man at a gas station in Overland Park in 2022.
Last Firday, Johnson County Judge Michael P. Joyce sentenced Zarrell Semaj Finley, 26, to a 50-year prison sentence for premeditated first-degree murder and firearm possession by a felon, both felonies that will run concurrently.
The sentence is often referred to as a “Hard 50,” meaning Finley will not be eligible for parole. Joyce’s sentencing came after a three-day jury trial in July in which the jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts.
The shooting occurred in 2022
The shooting occurred at about 4:30 p.m. on July 31, 2022, at the BP gas station at 8698 College Blvd. in Overland Park.
“Two vehicles pulled up into the gas station, and there was some type of altercation that we can see on video that occurred, and then the shooting occurred, and the vehicles left,” a police spokesperson said on the day of the shooting. “The vehicles left right after the shooting, leaving the victim injured in the parking lot here.”
Shortly after the shooting, police and emergency medical responders arrived on the scene. The victim, later identified as Shaquille Jackson, 26, of Kansas City, Missouri, was transported by ambulance to Overland Park Regional Medical Center in critical condition and was later pronounced dead.
Finley was charged with first degree murder in November 2022.
Jackson was the “life of the party”
Jackson was a certified carpenter working as a cabinet builder at Shamrock Cabinet in Raytown, Missouri, according to his obituary.
“Shaquille loved to dance; he was the life of the party. He loved his family and was a very loving person. He always smiled and always told his family he loved them with a big hug,” his obituary said.
After the announcement of Finley’s sentence, friends and family of Jackson posted celebratory messages on social medai about justice being served.
“Tears of happiness. You got your JUSTICE!” Tia Hicks, Jackson’s cousin, posted.
Tamika Willingham, Jackson’s sister, also posted: “It’s over bro. We got justice for you. Thank God. I love you bro. Rest peaceful now.”
An attorney for Finley did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
Other Johnson County crime news: Woman sentenced to 12 years in prison for role in downtown Shawnee murder
