Man Convicted of Killing Woman Gets Life Without Parole

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole in the drive-by shooting death of a grandmother struck by bullets intended for a gang member.

Twenty-one-year-old Joshua Ezeka was convicted last month of premeditated
first-degree murder and four other charges in the May 2016 death of 58-year-old
Birdell Beeks, who was running errands with her 16-year-old granddaughter in
north Minneapolis.

Two of Beeks' daughters testified at Monday's sentencing hearing. Sa'Lesha Beeks said she would ``love nothing more'' than to see Ezeka die so his family can see their pain.

Investigators say Ezeka was told a rival gang member was nearby and Ezeka started shooting toward that gang member's car. Some bullets struck the rival gang member's car and others struck Beeks' car.