Man Gets 45 Years In Prison For Fatal 2020 New Haven​ Shooting: Court

NEW HAVEN, CT — Jaison Flowers, 26, of New Haven, was sentenced this week to 45 years in prison for the 2020 killing of Howard “Foot” Lewis, according to New Haven Judicial District State’s Attorney John P. Doyle, Jr.

In March, a New Haven Superior Court jury found Flowers guilty of first-degree manslaughter with a firearm.

According to evidence presented at trial, Flowers fired two shots at a vehicle on Munson Street July 14, 2020, Doyle said.

"The gunfire missed the intended target and struck Lewis, an innocent bystander picking up his child from a hair appointment," the State's Attorney said. "One of the bullets struck Lewis in the chest, and he later died from his wounds at Yale New Haven Hospital," Doyle said. "In a recorded interview, Flowers claimed he fired in self-defense after another driver pulled a firearm on him." The jury rejected his self-defense claim, records show.

Due to a previous felony conviction, Flowers was prohibited from having firearms.

At sentencing, the court heard from numerous members of Lewis’s family, including his children, his brother, and his wife, Nicole Lewis, Doyle noted.

"Howard was a loving husband, father, and pillar of support to our family. His death came just one day before our son’s 10th birthday and only seven days after Howard’s 40th birthday. It is hard to describe the weight of this loss and the void it has left in our lives," Lewis is quoted as saying. "His absence has left us struggling to navigate life without his wisdom, encouragement, jokes, and love."