Teen Sentenced To Life in Pizza Driver's Shooting

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — A 15 year old was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for the shooting death of a pizza delivery driver in Lawrenceville.

Reginald Lofton, who was 14 at the time of the March 1 shooting, was convicted by a jury last month on two counts of felony murder, armed robbery and aggravated assault.

He was sentenced Thursday by Superior Court Judge Randy Rich to life with the possibility of parole — the harshest sentence possible because of his age — for the death of Shane Varnedore.

"I wish that I could give you more time than I can because I think you’re a cold-blooded killer," Rich said at the time of the sentencing, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post. "I hope you never get out of jail."

According to prosecutors, Lofton and Jermaine Young, 21 — both of Lawrenceville — robbed and then shot Varnadore, who drove for Papa John's, during a delivery to an apartment complex off of Herrington Road.

After a brief investigation, a lead in the case led Gwinnett County Police to execute a search warrant at that same apartment complex, during which Lofton and Young, were arrested.

At trial, Lofton's defense attorney argued that it was Young, who had not yet faced trial, who was the shooter.

On Thursday, Lofton again maintained that he was not the shooter.

Prosecutors acknowledged that the identity of the shooter is unclear, but maintained that, at the least, Lofton provided the gun used to shoot Varnadore and the phone used to call and make the delivery order.

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