DA Hicks Announces that the man who shot at a group of people at a party, injuring seven, has been sentenced to 167 years in prison. Frank Hewitt Jr. (dob 3/12/05) will be eligible for parole after 64 years.
“Seven lives were forever changed in a matter of seconds by the heinous actions of Mr. Hewitt,” said DA Hicks. “Today’s sentence reflects the gravity of that harm and delivers accountability for each victim.”
Hewitt was found guilty by a jury of seven counts of Attempted Murder with a Deadly Weapon, five counts of Battery with a Deadly Weapon, two counts of Battery with a Deadly Weapon Causing Substantial Bodily Harm, two counts Child Abuse with a Deadly Weapon, and one count Discharging a Firearm into Occupied Structure.
An officer with the Reno Police Department was responding to a complaint about a noisy party at the Zephyr Cove Apartments on the night of October 6, 2023, when she heard gunshots coming from one of the buildings. The officer then saw two masked men run from the area and jump into a car to get away. She attempted to stop the pair but was unable to detain them. As additional officers arrived, they found seven victims throughout the building, all suffering from various degrees of gunshot wounds.
The victims’ injuries were as follows:
- Victim A: 15-year-old shot in the hand
- Victim B: 20-year-old shot in the chest (bullet lodged behind lung), leg, and wrist
- Victim C: 20-year-old shot in the thigh and upper arm
- Victim D: 18-year-old shot in the thigh
- Victim E: 15-year-old shot in the chest and leg
- Victim F: 18-year-old shot in the arm
- Victim G: 21-year-old shot in the foot
During the investigation, RPD learned that a group of teens and young adults were having a party in Building J that night of the shooting. Some of the group had left to go to a nearby convenience store, and when they returned and were on the landing outside of the apartment, Hewitt and another man ran up and opened fire. The two men fired 32 shots at the group in two bursts before running away.
Ring doorbell footage was played during the trial by Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Bolenbaker, which showed the entire attack. He also showed video evidence of Hewitt confessing to the crimes to a former gang member and talking about how he had wanted to kill someone in the shooting, to prove himself to the gang.
During sentencing, Chief DDA Bolenbaker argued for 210 years with parole eligibility after 78 years, saying “You don’t get to shoot people in bulk and get a discount. I strongly encourage consecutive time for each of these victims,” and “Frank Hewitt is evil, and I don’t say that lightly.”
The Honorable David Hardy presided and imposed the 64–167-year sentence, addressing the defendant’s disregard for human life and how it is beyond our community’s willingness to endure. Judge Hardy added that Hewitt’s conduct was evil and that it would be punished accordingly, and he acknowledged Chief DDA Bolenbaker’s humanizing of the victims when asking for sentencing.
