New Hampshire man sentenced for shooting neighbor in snowplowing dispute

By Alanna Flood

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    DOVER, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A Rochester man was sentenced Monday for shooting his neighbor in a dispute over snowplowing.

Kyle Violette addressed the judge before the sentencing, asking for justice after Jason Levesque shot him multiple times.

“He tried to execute me in front of my entire family for me complaining about snow. Was it worth it?” Violette said.

Violette recounted how he was shot by Levesque outside of his home during a snowstorm last April.

“He waits until I walk away after the last time, and I hear him say, ‘I am not going to fight you. I am going to (expletive) kill you and then the last thing I know, he shoots me in the side of my face,” Violette said.

It was because of the violent nature of the crime that the judge sentenced Levesque to up to 20 years in prison.

A jury found him guilty of first-degree assault in March.

“It was clear to me the victim in this case was turning and walking away from you, that at that point, you had numerous options available to you other than what you did,” Judge Andrew Livernois said.

Levesque said his neighbor came over while he was plowing and said he would kill him and his family if he plowed any snow onto his property. Levesque then shot Violette, firing another five times after he fell to the ground.

Levesque said he was acting in self-defense.

“Don’t let this one episode define who Jason Levesque is, because that’s not Jason Levesque,” defense attorney Mark Sisti said.

Levesque will be eligible for parole in about seven years.

After the sentencing hearing, Violette told WMUR he is still working to build his life back and that it’s unfortunate this fateful evening unfolded the way it did.

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