A Lakeland man has admitted in federal court that he illegally possessed a handgun tied to a chaotic Christmas Eve 2020 shootout that killed a 70-year-old grandmother and wounded a 13-year-old girl. Federal authorities say ballistics linked the weapon to the fatal rounds, a development that helped crack a case that had lingered for years. The defendant now faces a potential federal prison term of up to 15 years.
Ballistics Linked a Seized Pistol to the Christmas Eve Scene
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, investigators recovered a Kahr CM9 9mm pistol during a search in February 2023. Using the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, analysts matched the gun to six shell casings and a bullet collected from the December 24, 2020 shooting scene.
Prosecutors say forensic testing confirmed that the recovered pistol fired the shots that killed victim M.C. and injured the 13-year-old girl. They also noted that the defendant was barred from possessing any firearm because of prior felony convictions.
Local Outlet Details Felon’s Guilty Plea
As reported by Tampa Bay 28, 27-year-old Taqiy Lewis has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in connection with the case. when the federal charges were first announced, prosecutors said the complaint grew out of the same investigation that later produced the ballistic match.
How Investigators Say the Christmas Eve Shooting Unfolded
Police and prosecutors say the violence traces back to a robbery at Simpson Park earlier that day, when a 15-year-old boy was reportedly held up while trying to buy a phone. After the shaken family returned home, several vehicles pulled up outside and gunfire erupted, according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
Local coverage has identified the slain grandmother as Maebelle Cooper and reported that multiple family members, including a 13-year-old, were hit in the barrage of bullets.
Federal Charge, Plea and What Lewis Now Faces
Federal authorities say Lewis has pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, a charge that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. The Department of Justice has said the case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Lakeland Police Department, and that it will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tampa.
Family Reaction After Years Without Answers
Family members told reporters that the guilty plea brought some measure of relief after years of waiting for movement in the case. Relatives said the development helped them begin to move toward closure, according to ABC Action News. Advocates and local officials have praised the use of modern ballistics technology to connect the pistol recovered in 2023 to the 2020 shooting.
What Comes Next in the Case
Authorities say Lewis was already in custody on unrelated state charges when federal prosecutors filed the complaint. He is expected to be brought into federal custody as the plea process moves forward, local reporting has noted.
A federal judge will set a sentencing date after the court formally accepts the plea, reviews pre-sentencing reports and receives any recommendations from prosecutors.
