Teen Sentenced to Life for Christmas Eve Murder

A Providence, Rhode Island, teenager has been sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison for what authorities said was the killing of a rival gang member in Pawtucket on Christmas Eve in 2013.

A Providence Superior Court judge handed down the sentence Thursday to 18-year-old Jose Lopez, who was convicted in January of murdering 21-year-old Ryan Almeida. Lopez was 17 at the time of the killing.

Police said Lopez and two other members of a gang associated with a Providence housing complex were looking to retaliate against the East Side Posse for killing a friend when they ambushed Almeida and Lopez shot him with a handgun. Authorities said Almeida was a member of the East Side Posse.

The two reputed gang members who were with Lopez pleaded guilty and await sentencing.