Florida man faces prison time for Columbia restaurant shooting

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Florida man could be sentenced to more than a decade in prison for a 2024 shooting in a Columbia restaurant.

Alexis Gonzalez, 38, was found guilty of second-degree assault and armed criminal action. He was acquitted on one charge of unlawful use of a weapon. Gonzalez was accused of shooting Gary Bitsicas in the face on Aug. 17, 2024.

A jury convicted Gonzalez on Wednesday. Jurors were deliberating his sentence on Thursday.

The conviction for second-degree assault carries a maximum sentence of seven years. The armed criminal action charge carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years.

The state asked the jury to consider the maximum sentence for both counts. The defense has asked for one year in the Boone County Jail for the assault conviction and three years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for the armed criminal action.

The state argued that Gonzalez went back into a restaurant with a gun and the intention to harm Bitsicas after an argument outside over a bar tab. Gonzalez claimed he was acting in self-defense and in defense of his girlfriend.

Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson said the verdict will send a message to the public on whether Columbia tolerates crime or stands up to it. He asked the jurors to make an example out of Gonzalez and his actions that night. Johnson said being a gun owner comes with a responsibility that Gonzalez failed to uphold.

The defense highlighted Gonzalez's character in closing statements to jurors. His attorney, Jeff Hilbrenner, said Gonzalez is a military veteran who worked as a pharmacy technician before his arrest. Hilbrenner said Gonzalez has no criminal history and no reports of poor behavior while being held in jail since Aug. 18, 2024.