Newark Man Gets 17 Years for Revenge Killing

A Newark man was sentenced Tuesday to 17 years in prison for gunning down a city resident who had been in an argument with the killer's cousin earlier in the day, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said.

Andrew Burrows, 25, who pleaded guilty in March to aggravated manslaughter, must serve 85 percent of his 17-year sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Burrows fatally shot Russell Lighten Jr., 24, in the 400 block of 17th Street on Aug. 20, 2012. Lighten had gotten into a verbal dispute with Burrows' female cousin earlier that day, the prosecutor's office said.

Even though Lighten apologized for the incident, Burrows still gunned him down as he was walking home from playing basketball, the prosecutor's office said.

Burrows was originally charged with murder and weapons offenses. He has one prior conviction for theft in 2010 and 16 prior adult arrests, eight previous disorderly persons offenses and a juvenile record, according to the prosecutor's office.

"We know the sentence will not bring back the victim but we hope it will provide measure of comfort to the Lighten family,’’ Assistant Prosecutor Allan Nawrocki said. “This case provides a cautionary tale of what happens when someone uses a gun to settle a minor dispute. It can only have a tragic ending.’’