AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — A former Paine College student accused of shooting another student in the head in 2014 has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Media outlets report a Richmond County jury convicted 21-year-old Xavier D. Cooper Wednesday on charges of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and carrying a weapon on school property.
Superior Court Judge Carl C. Brown Jr. gave Cooper the maximum possible sentence.
Prosecutors say Cooper shot 21-year-old Paine student JaJuan Baker on May 4, 2014 after the two got into an argument inside a university administration building elevator.
Baker survived the shooting and has returned to college in North Carolina.
Cooper apologized Wednesday to Paine College, his family, and Baker and his family for the ordeal.
