A Lancaster teenager was sentenced to 10-20 years in prison Monday afternoon for killing a man in 2019.

Rahmir Hopkins, now 17, shot and killed 24-year-old Luis Perez in the back while two of Hopkins’ companions were fighting with Perez on the 600 block of South Lime Street on October 9, 2019.

A jury convicted Hopkins in October 2021 of third-degree murder, possessing a firearm as a minor and carrying a firearm without a license.

Assistant District Attorney Cody Wade prosecuted the case and asked for the max sentence of 26 to 52 years, noting that the defendant only started accepting responsibility for the murder once he was convicted and still forced the victim’s family to testify at trial.

“Given the nature of the charges and limited mitigation aspects, there must be a heavy penalty,” Wade said.

Lancaster County Judge Jeffery Wright ordered sentence and heard statements from the victim’s mother and family member and the defendant’s grandmother and mother.

Hopkins took the opportunity to speak and apologized to Perez’s family, his family, and the judge.

“I want better,” Hopkins said. “I don’t want this to be my life.”

Judge Wright mentioned this case aligned with a common theme he has seen in his 15 years on the bench with false bravado, codes of the streets, egos and ultimately illegally possessed firearms leading to inevitable and unnecessary death.

Lancaster City Bureau of Police Detective Stan Roache filed charges.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.