21-year-old son was just 16 when he took his mother’s gun from a nightstand while she slept and fatally shot her twice in the head just because he lost his phone privileges; sentenced
Tennessee – In a shocking case in Tennessee, a 21-year-old man, identified as Shawn W., was sentenced on Monday after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his mother, identified as Sandy W. Sandy was found deceased in her bed on April 20, 2020, having suffered gunshot wounds to the left side of her head. Authorities say the weapon used belonged to Sandy and had been kept on her nightstand. Shawn was just 16 years old when he carried out the killing, and prosecutors reduced what would have been a first-degree murder charge in exchange for the plea.
Sheriff’s office deputies discovered Sandy’s body in her home. Deputies learned that Shawn called his girlfriend soon after the shooting, telling her he had found his mother in bed and covered in blood. When the girlfriend’s father arrived, he checked on Sandy and, realizing she was unresponsive, called the police. During the subsequent investigation, it became clear that Shawn had provided “numerous conflicting stories,” but detectives persisted, and in May 2020, he confessed in detail to detectives.
According to a court petition, Shawn admitted that while his mother was asleep, he removed her gun from her nightstand, took it downstairs to load it quietly, then returned to her bedroom. He positioned himself by her bed and shot her at close range. Earlier that evening, a dispute had erupted because Sandy had taken away Shawn’s cellphone—something he “protested,” but she ended the confrontation by going upstairs to sleep. Feeling anger and frustration over losing phone privileges, Shawn carried out the killing. Following his plea, Shawn was sentenced to 30 years in state prison. Tennessee’s sentencing guidelines typically permit parole after serving a portion of the term, often around 10 years. However, prosecutors specified he must serve 100% of his sentence for the crime he carried out.
Authorities also revealed that the shooting involved multiple gunshots. Sandy returned home from a night shift and was reportedly tired, which made her vulnerable to the attack. Sandy’s family, present at the sentencing hearing, expressed relief that the case had reached a resolution, though no sentence can undo the loss. Her obituary fondly remembered her love for horses, butterflies, flowers, arts and crafts, and, most importantly, her family.
District Attorney General D. Clark stated, “This shocking crime demanded justice, and I am happy that it has been resolved as well as the law will allow.” He thanked Sandy’s family for their strength and support through the emotional proceedings. Shawn’s sentence was shaped by Tennessee’s laws regarding juvenile offenders—restrictions which limit available punishments—but the court emphasized rehabilitation and public safety through the extended, non-parole scenario.
This tragic case highlights the fragility of family dynamics, particularly where technology and teenage emotions collide. A confrontation about smartphone access escalated to a lethal outcome that robbed a mother of her life and condemned her son to decades behind bars. While the legal chapter has closed with the sentence, the emotional fallout will endure for the family and community. As Sandy’s loved ones begin life without her, they also face the enduring question of how much control and discipline can coexist with vulnerability and love in a parent-child relationship. At its heart, this is a story not just of crime and punishment, but of a moment when a child’s anger turned irreversibly fatal.
