A 22-year-old man was found guilty Saturday in the September shooting death of a Spelman College student from Kansas City.

A Fulton County jury convicted Devonni “Devo” Benton of murder and two counts of aggravated assault in the shooting death of Spelman sophomore Jasmine Lynn. Benton was given a life sentence plus 25 years for the killing.

After deliberating over two days, the jury also convicted Benton of a weapons possession charge.

Prosecutors said Benton was in a fight outside a Clark Atlanta University dorm and fired at least six shots into a crowd, killing Lynn as she walked near the campus.

Atlanta Police Lt. Keith Meadows told The Kansas City Star in September that a friend walking with Lynn “actually heard the gunshots, actually saw the weapon and told her to get on the ground. Before she was able to get on the ground, she was struck in the chest.”


The 19-year-old was the first in her family to attend college. Her success continued with a 3.8 grade point average during her freshman year at Spelman. She pledged to relatives in Kansas City that she planned to do even better this school year.

Read more: Man found guilty in shooting that killed college student from KC – KansasCity.com