Jason Levesque gets 10-20 years for shooting neighbor over snowplowing squabble

Kyle Levesque of Rochester is escorted from the courtroom after he was sentenced to 10-20 years in prison for shooting his neighbor. (Rochester Voice photo)

DOVER - Jason Levesque, the Rochester man who shot his unarmed neighbor six times after they exchanged words over a snowplowing dispute last winter, was sentenced today to 10-20 years in state prison.
The shooting incident unfolded in the area of 41-43 Summer St., Rochester, around 10:20 p.m. on April 4, 2024.
Upon arrival police found a male victim, 38-year-old Kyle Violette, on the sidewalk with several gunshot wounds.
During today's sentencing an openly emotional Violette, who has suffered through more than a dozen surgeries, often held his head down while silently convulsing at times, often wrapping his arms around his longtime girlfriend or his daughter as he watched Strafford County Assistant Attorney Joachim Barth and defense lawyer Mark Sisti make their cases for a longer or shorter sentence.
Barth argued that Levesque deserved the maximum sentence, not because he shot Violette as they argued, but for pumping five more bullets into his back and buttocks as he lay on the ground writhing in pain as he tried to crawl back to his steps.
Levesque testified prior to closing arguments that exhaustion from being up plowing snow for 38 hours and his fear that Violette was going to harm his family, led him to shoot his neighbor.
He told the jury he blacked out after the first shot from his Glock handgun and didn't remember the additional five shots as Violette lay on the ground with blood spewing from his throat.
The incident began when Violette confronted Levesque while he was plowing his driveway the night of the confrontation.
Violette told Levesque that if he plowed snow on his driveway he would kill him and his family.
At the height of their argument Levesque produced a 9 mm pistol, which led to Violette turning away back toward his home. Levesque then shot Violette in the jaw, and he fell to the ground.
Barth said prior to sentencing the shooting was nothing less than a "cold-blooded attempted execution."
Strafford Superior Judge Andrew B. Livernois took only about 15 minutes in chambers before returning to the courtroom to announce his sentence.
Following the decision Levesque left the courtroom with closed eyes as he was escorted by three Sheriff's Deputies back to Strafford County Jail before being transported to state prison.