A man who shot and killed a fellow Chickamauga, Ga., resident in a road rage incident has been sentenced to life without parole, plus five years.
Jeremy Dewayne McCrary, who was 43 at the time of the incident in March 2022, appeared before Superior Court Judge Don Thompson at LaFayette on Wednesday afternoon.
At a recent trial, McCrary was found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The jury found him not guilty of malice murder.
McCrary was one of a group of motorcyclists who got entangled with an SUV driven by 53-year-old Danny Claire on Lee Clarkson Road. Authorities said the motorcyclists tried to pass the SUV driver, but he swerved in front of them. The fracas ended up on the parking lot of the Dollar General Store in Chickamauga. McCrary shot the victim in the chest with a .9 mm handgun that he pulled out.
Tapes were played at the sentencing hearing in which McCrary said he was "not sorry I shot the SOB." He also said he "sent the (mf) straight to hell."
A son of the victim said the incident has completely changed the family's life. He said his mother had to sell her home and go back to work and it has caused personal problems for several family members.
He said his father was the one who found ways to get the family together, but he said they now seldom see one another.
The witness said, "No person should have to die like this."