Man sentenced to 15 years for Chandler Mall shooting

PHOENIX - A man charged with opening fire outside of Chandler Fashion Center last summer has been sentenced to prison.

Nathaniel Vensor, 19, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to gun and drug charges, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced on Oct. 13.

According to police, Vensor demanded jewelry from someone in the parking lot at gunpoint with an AR-15 on Aug. 1, 2022. When the victim refused, Vensor fired 30 rounds toward the victim and into the air.

No one was hurt, but the mall was put on lockdown.

Vensor fled the scene after the shooting but was arrested the following day when he returned to the mall.

At the time of the shooting, Vensor was on probation and was not allowed to have a weapon. Days before the Chandler shooting, officials say Vensor waved a weapon at employees and patrons at a bar in Mesa.

Nathaniel Vensor, a 19-year-old man who was charged with opening fire outside of Chandler Fashion Center last summer, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

"We are very fortunate that no one was hurt during this selfish and senseless act," Mitchell said in a statement. "This sentence is appropriate for the crime committed and keeps our community safe from a defendant with a violent criminal history."