Travis Turner was sentenced Friday to 23 years in prison for shooting his roommate after an argument last year.

Turner, 38, of Fort Collins, appeared before Judge Daniel McDonald of the 8th Judicial District Court in Fort Collins for sentencing Friday afternoon; he had pleaded guilty in early September to attempted second-degree murder, a Class 3 felony. He also admitted to two counts of violent crime with a weapon.

The incident occurred in March 2023 at a home in the 2300 block of Lathrop Court in Fort Collins. On the night of the incident, Turner and Adebola Abimbola—who Turner said was his non-intimate roommate—had an argument that led to Turner shooting Abimbola in the stomach, something Turner claimed was done in self defense after Abimbola got in his face. and would not leave the house.

During the sentencing, Abimbola went through the impact the shooting had on him, including having to undergo multiple surgeries and having to use a colostomy bag for several months.

He said during his recovery he ended up homeless and had to figure out how to live with his injuries while living in a homeless shelter, getting a gym membership so he could shower and clean up.

He also claimed that Turner threatened to shoot him again that night, adding: “Mr. Turner put my name on his (bullet) that day.”

“He showed no remorse,” Abimbola said. “He only cares about his wants and needs. There are no winners in this case.”

Several people came forward to speak on Turner’s behalf, tearfully describing him as a kind and generous person who loved the arts.

Sara Sherman, Turner’s mother, said Travis is her “biggest achievement” and not a day goes by that she isn’t proud of him.

“Travis was always willing to help anyone, anytime, anywhere,” she said.

She also apologized to Abimbola and his family, saying her son was sorry for what happened and would like to go back and change that night.

“I am truly sorry and saddened by the events that have led us here today,” she said. “I want Mr. Abimbola and his family (to know that they) have been in my thoughts and prayers daily since this incident occurred.”

Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Wills spent several minutes going over the case, saying that that night, Abimbola wanted to go to a movie with Turner and have a conversation about their “relationship,” adding that he even brought money to help Turner -repairs his car. .

He said the two ended up getting into an argument, during which Turner grabbed a nearby gun and loaded a round, pointing it at Abimbola and demanding he leave. Wills said that when Abimbola told him to put the gun down, Turner shot him in the stomach, a wound that resulted in a serious injury that led to months of subsequent surgeries and procedures.

Wills also played several audio clips from Turner to his mother while he was in prison, including several in which he says Abimbola deserved what he got and that if he were in the same situation again, he would – it again.

Wills said that while Turner’s friends and family have called for leniency, the plea deal means he will likely get out of prison in only half the time he was sentenced to. Because of this, he asked for a maximum of 28 years in prison.

“There has already been leniency,” he said. “It shouldn’t go any lower for someone who has no remorse and no remorse for his actions.”

Danielle Feeland, Turner’s attorney, offered a different view of what happened that night, saying Turner didn’t get a chance throughout the case to have her story heard.

She said Turner acted in self-defense that night, adding that Abimbola got in Turner’s face and did not listen to his pleas to leave the residence.

She added that the fact that he agreed to plead guilty does not mean that he did not try to defend himself that night, but that he did not want to take the risk of taking the case to court to argue what happened. She said Turner is not a terrible person and never meant to kill Abimbola.

“It gets twisted and screwed to make it sound like it’s saying something that can be proven not to be,” she said.

She asked that Turner be given the minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, adding that she is not only serving the sentence for him, but also for his family.

“What is gained between 10 and 20 years? I think that’s what it comes down to,” she said. “Ten years in prison for someone with zero criminal record is punishment enough.”

Turner, speaking on his own behalf, began by apologizing to Abimbola and his family, saying he was scared that night and reacted, adding “I will regret this reaction for the rest of my life.”

“And I can guarantee that nothing like this will happen again,” he said.

McDonald described the case as heartbreaking on many levels, saying the situation resulted in Abimbola’s serious injury and a lengthy prison sentence for Turner.

He also said that despite the defense’s claims, “what is pretty clear is that this was not a case of self-defense.”

“I think Mr. Turner is probably not happy with this decision, but in the interview (with investigators) he showed no remorse,” he said. “The court has seen cases, both on this side and when I’ve been on the other side of the bench, where people have acted in self-defence and caused serious, serious injury to people and they were sorry they had to do what they did made. he did. I didn’t even see that with Mr. Turner.”

He sentenced Turner to 23 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections, a sentence that drew gasps and sobs from Turner’s support in the courtroom.