The man who admitted to killing two co-workers at the Chili's restaurant in DeWitt last year was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
William Wood Jr. pleaded guilty last month to first- and second-degree murder charges for shooting and killing former co-workers Kristopher Hicks and Stephen Gudknecht during a robbery at the restaurant on Erie Blvd in September. Wood also meant to shoot more people at Chili’s but his gun jammed.
Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick also said in March that Wood had planned to also attack Ruby Tuesday’s on Carrier Circle, where he worked previously.
The families of the victims were also in the court on Monday and read highly emotional statements before Wood's sentencing.
"He was my rock. He was my best friend," said Gudknecht's mother, Nancy Chapel. "He was a son any mother would be proud to have. He was a father who loved his kids more than life itself. He was a brother and a role model. He was an uncle. He was a nephew, he was a coworker, he was a cousin. And why am I saying 'was?'"
Wood spoke briefly just before the sentence was made final.
Last week it was revealed that U.S. Attorney William Barr had directed the U.S. Attorney’s Office to seek the death penalty for Wood after months of deliberations, something DA Fitzpatrick will pursue.
It's not clear when that case will start.