LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The sentencing for a man charged in connection to a deadly Fayette Mall shooting, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed until 1 p.m. May 26.
The sentencing was postponed because the defense counsel asked for more time and the Commonwealth Attorney agreed to the request.
Earlier this year, Xavier Hardin agreed to a guilty plea deal for his role in a Fayette Mall shooting during August 2020 that took the life of 17-year-old Kenneth Bottoms.
The defense counsel has argued it was self-defense but the evidence wasn’t there to fully support the claim.
LEX 18 obtained surveillance video that showed much of the altercation. Two others were injured in the shooting.
For pleading to lesser offenses, Hardin is facing a maximum of 23 years in prison. But that number could be reduced to eight if the sentences run concurrently.
Regardless of the sentence length, Hardin would have to serve 85% of the time.
