GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– A Norcross man was sentenced to life in prison for committing an execution-style murder of a 22-year-old man that he shot point-blank in his ear.

A Gwinnett County jury on Nov. 20 found Brian Sanchez Duarte, 32, guilty of malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony for the November 2022 shooting death of Alinton Joel Rivera-Zuniga. Duarte was sentenced to life in prison plus five years without the possibility of parole.

“This was a senseless death,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “This verdict and sentencing send a message that deadly violence is uncalled for. We hope the outcome of this case helps the victim’s family find solace.”

On the early morning of Nov. 27, 2022, Rivera-Zuniga was leaving the Alta Gama event hall i

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