A Chattanooga man who was convicted of first-degree murder among other charges in connection with a drive-by shooting will not have additional prison time added to his life sentence.
Tyqurerio Malone, 28, was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years for the attempted first-degree murder of Brandon Rakestraw, six years for employing a firearm during a dangerous felony and two years for reckless endangerment.
He agreed to those sentences without any argument from his attorney, and prosecutors didn’t argue for consecutive sentences. Malone was already set to serve a minimum of 51 years in prison following his September jury trial.
“You have always been respectful in my courtroom,” Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Amanda Dunn said to Malone.
Dunn encouraged Malone to take educational programs to obtain his GED diploma while incarcerated and use the time to reflect on what has happened.
The family of Robert Dowdy, who was killed in the shooting, went through a horrible situation and is dealing with a profound loss, Dunn said. But Malone’s family is grieving a loss, too.
Malone choose not to make a statement, but his attorney told the court he wanted to clarify one issue in his presentence report, which is an investigatory document into a person’s history that plays into their sentencing. Malone was listed as having involvement with several different gangs that he wasn’t affiliated with, the attorney said.
“I understand why it’s important to Mr. Malone that there are some inconsistencies there,” Dunn said.
Malone and Tremaine Dillard, 26, were both found guilty by jury of first-degree murder. They were believed to be affiliated with a gang that rivaled that of victims Rakestraw and Dowdy.
(SIGN UP: Get today’s Chattanooga area news, sports and entertainment directly to your inbox. Sign up for our free newsletters at timesfreepress.com/newsletters.)
The drive-by shooting happened June 22, 2020, at Nine Brothers in Chattanooga’s Southside. Nine Brothers is a known gathering spot for gang members, according to Chattanooga police investigator Zack Crawford.
Dowdy suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest, and Rakestraw sustained a life-threatening gunshot wound to his pelvis.
Dillard was believed to be the driver, and Malone was allegedly one of three shooters. Eric Sims and Montrell Franklin are facing first-degree murder charges in connection with the incident.
(READ MORE: Hixson woman sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatal shooting committed as teen)
During Malone’s trial, Gang and Violent Crime Prosecutor Austin Scofield called the shooting a crime of opportunity.
“You want to shoot some Bloods, that’s the place to do it,” Scofield said at the time. “Bloods hang out in South Chattanooga.”
Contact Sofia Saric at ssaric@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Judge Amanda Dunn speaks to Tyqurerio Malone on Nov. 19, 2024, during his sentencing hearing at the courts building in Chattanooga.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / The bailiff swears in Tyqurerio Malone on Nov. 19, 2024, during a sentencing hearing at the courts building in Chattanooga.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Officers escort Tyqurerio Malone out of the courtroom Nov. 19, 2024, after his sentencing hearing at the courts building in Chattanooga.