Kierra Russ sentenced to life in prison for Club Blu mass shooting

Kierra Russ, the first person brought to trial for the deadly 2016 Club Blu mass shooting in Fort Myers, was sentenced to life in prison on Monday afternoon.

Russ was the first of five suspects to go to trial in connection to the Club Blu shooting. In May, a jury found her guilty of two second-degree murder charges and one count of conspiracy to commit murder for working as a lookout and texting others about the rival gang members at a party in the club. The people she messaged ended up killing 14-year-old Sean Archilles and 18-year-old Stef’an Strawder, and at least 14 others were injured.

When Dsean Archilles thinks back to this summer night in 2016, the pain of losing his 14-year-old brother Sean comes rushing back.

“That was… It was confusing, it was really a confusing night,” said Archilles.

Archilles’ little brother is one of two teenagers shot dead while leaving a teen party at Club Blu in Fort Myers. The second was 18-year-old Ste’fan Strauder. Both were caught in a gang rivalry despite having no gang ties.

Russ said she had no gang ties either, but the jury didn’t believe her. Instead, they convicted her of acting as a “Lookout” that night and said she tipped off members of the 1Way gang that members of a rival gang, the Bottom Boys, were leaving.

Moments later gunfire erupted. Although she never fired a gun, “The court adjudicating you guilty will send it to you to life in prison on that count,” said Judge Nick Thompson.

WINK News spoke to Russ’ mother off-camera shortly after her daughter’s trial ended. She told me her daughter is not guilty.

“Our children are all victims in this club blu shooting all of our children, all of our kids that was there that night was a part of this. Out of respect of the families of the victims in the families, I have not spoken about this. But my child is being looked at as a spotter a lookout as this bad person and that’s not who she is,” said Russ’ mother.

Achilles skipped the sentencing. “At the end of the day, we still can’t get them back. So it doesn’t really do very much for me,” said Achilles.

Russ was sentenced to life in prison on the two counts of second-degree murder. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder. Russ has 30 days to file an appeal.

“It reminds me of what our parents, many of our parents probably taught us to be very careful and aware of who you associate with,” Lee County defense attorney Lance Dunford said. “And here’s a prime example of that, in real life, she may have just thought, ‘Oh, I’m being a lookout, I’m giving this person a heads up on this, that and the third,’ but shoulda, coulda, woulda didn’t work here. And, unfortunately, obviously, a jury did not believe that that’s what it was limited to.”

Dunford says there are sometimes mitigating factors that can influence how long a defendant is sentenced, such as plea deals and restitution. The severity of Russ’ charges, however, led him to believe Judge Thompson will be fair, but not lenient.

“There’s no restitution that’s ever going to bring these young people back,” Dunford said. “I don’t think the families are going to get up there and say, ‘Judge, we’re OK if you give her less of a sentence while we get some money.’ So, unfortunately, I don’t see a lot of mitigators that she’s really going to be able to grab onto in this type of case.”

Fort Myers Police Chief Derrick Diggs released a statement on Russ’ sentencing. You can read it in their Facebook post below.

The State Attorney’s Office held a press conference about Russ’s sentencing. You can watch in the player below or by clicking here.