Mark Henry Waters, a 68-year-old former engineer from San Jose, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the shooting of an unarmed student. According to the County of Santa Clara District Attorney's office, the incident occurred in 2022 when the 21-year-old victim was crossing a street from an Airbnb to get a snack. The sentence follows a conviction on March 7, where Waters was found guilty of assault with a semi-automatic firearm, amongst other allegations. The defendant had maintained that the gun discharged accidentally and requested probation at his sentencing.
The prosecution argued the gravity of the crime and the necessity of firmly adjudicating, aiming to deter any similar future acts of gun violence in the community. "This is a sensible verdict for a senseless crime. Gun violence in our community will be met with the severest criminal consequences," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said, as per the County of Santa Clara District Attorney's office. Security footage from the night of the shooting appeared to show Waters chasing the victim and firing with intent, debunking his accidental discharge claim.
Evidence presented during the trial painted a stark picture of the events, as the victim—a student—was shot while trying to flee, suffering a significant injury that shattered his femur in several places. Notably, as the student ran, Waters was heard to exclaim, "So you think you can run?" according to the County of Santa Clara District Attorney's office. This act of violence has profoundly impacted the victim, who spent a week in the hospital and a month in physical rehabilitation and still has difficulty with normal mobility functions.
