LAKE CITY, Fla. (WCJB) — An 18-year-old was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for the shooting death of a 12-year-old girl in her home.

Court records show Matthew Rice was sentenced for murder and attempted murder in connection with the death of Mariah Smith in August 2023. In addition to the life sentence, Rice was sentenced to 15 years for the attempted murders of Todrion Jenkins, Mariah’s brother, and Deadra Filer, her grandmother.

Investigators say Smith was sitting on a couch in her home when bullets were fired into the home. Jenkins and Filer were also in the home at the time of the shooting.

RELATED: Lake City teen gets life in prison for murdering 12-year-old Mariah Smith: ‘I miss my grandbaby’

Video evidence showed three people fleeing the scene of the crime. DNA linked R

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