PANAMA CITY — A Callaway man who killed a 20-year-old during a botched robbery for 2 ounces of cannabis has been sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Randy Jackson, 24, was sentenced Thursday for plotting a robbery scheme for about 2 ounces of marijuana that turned into a deadly shooting in July. Ryan Brooks, 20, was shot multiple times in a Panama City Beach apartment complex parking lot before police arrived to find him face down on the asphalt.
Judge James Fensom sentenced Jackson to a minimum of 30 years in prison for an attempted robbery with a firearm to be followed by a 15 year stint for manslaughter.
During the sentencing, Brooks’ family members asked Fensom to pass down a life sentence on Jackson. They said that since Jackson showed no remorse in the wake of Brooks’ death, they had no remorse for Jackson.
“I wish I was one of those parents who could say I was able to find forgiveness,” said Amy McDonald, Brooks’ mother. “But I am not one of those parents.”
Jurors found Jackson guilty in January of manslaughter and attempted robbery with a firearm.
Six people were arrested in the fallout of the July 10 shooting at the Club Apartments, 325 Richard Jackson Blvd., as the three survivors allegedly tried to cover their tracks.
Jackson and 23-year-old Joshua Heath Smith had armed themselves with designs on robbing Brooks of the marijuana. However, they didn’t anticipate that Brooks and 26-year-old Joseph Cannizzo also would allegedly be aiming to rob them of their cash at gunpoint.
The meeting convened at the Club Apartments where Brooks, Cannizzo and Smith consolidated into Cannizzo’s green SUV to orchestrate a purchase of the marijuana. During the exchange, Cannizzo pulled a gun on Smith and ordered him to take off his pants. Brooks took his gun and walked over to the car Smith arrived in to search it.
Neither Brooks nor Cannizzo knew Jackson was in the car until gunfire roared from inside.
Cannizzo fired upon the car and Jackson sped off, according to investigative reports. Smith escaped through the woods without firing a shot. Brooks died a short time later from his multiple gunshot wounds.
Cannizzo’s role in the incident is still pending in court. He is accused of attempting to rob Smith at gunpoint before the shooting.
Smith is required to testify in the matter and could face 10 years in prison during his sentencing. However a court date remains open-ended as Cannizzo is undergoing medical treatment from an out-of-state car wreck in December in which he suffered brain and spine injuries, according to his attorney.
Jackson also faces trial in March for a charge of felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the shooting. He faces an additional 15 years in prison if convicted of that charge.