A
man that shot
two security guards during Kanye West’s performance at the National Exhibition
Centre (NEC) Arena in the United Kingdom in Feb. of 2006 has been sentenced to
life in prison for his role in the shooting. Abidan
Raphael, 27, was ejected from the NEC Arena with his girlfriend Joanne Bushell,
22, twice for attempting to enter the Kanye West concert, without a ticket. The
concert was the final date on West’s five-date Touch The Sky Tour, which wrapped
up at the NEC Arena. Over 12,000 people in attended the concert, which was in
progress when the shooting occurred. Prosecutors
said Raphael and others had been found by security guards in an area of a bar
that had been close and were promptly thrown out of the venue. Later,
security guards spotted Raphael and Bushell in the concert hall and escorted them
out of the building a second time. Raphael
then produced a handgun and fired six bullets, four of which struck 46-year-old
John Tough in the face, stomach and foot. Another guard was shot in the abdomen.
"My
thoughts and prayers are with the two stewards who were injured last night,"
West said shortly after the shooting.A
jury found Raphael guilty of three charges of attempted murder and other firearms
and assault violations. Bushell
was convicted of assisting Raphael and sentenced to three years in prison.
