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Inset: William Bushey. Background: William Bushey’s shotgun that he used to blast his mom, sister and nephew being shown in court (KFMB/YouTube).
A California man who fatally shot his sister and nephew, while injuring his mother, is facing a lifetime in prison. The violent outburst was reportedly triggered by his family’s decision to relocate a Wi-Fi router from his room.
William Bushey, aged 61, received a life sentence without the possibility of parole following his sentencing in San Diego County for a shooting spree that occurred in 2024.
The District Attorney’s office released a statement denouncing Bushey’s actions as “savage and ruthless,” highlighting how he pursued his family after they moved the Wi-Fi router from his room, where he habitually engaged in video gaming.
According to prosecutors, Bushey confronted his family over the Wi-Fi issue, retrieved a hidden shotgun he had purchased in 2012, and armed himself with additional ammunition. He then fired six shots as he chased his mother and sister towards the back patio.
A San Diego jury found Bushey guilty of first-degree murder for the deaths of his sister, Laurie Robinson, 61, and her son, Brett Robinson, 33, during the incident at their Point Loma residence. His mother, June Bushey, 86, also suffered serious injuries, including the loss of three fingers, after being shot in the chest and hand, as reported by police.
During the trial, Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello presented evidence indicating that Bushey was on the brink of being evicted from the family home due to his behavior, which he blamed on his sister and mother. This mounting tension eventually led to the tragic shootings.
During Bushey’s trial, prosecutors said he lived with his elderly mother “without contributing to the household” and interacted very little with family members for over a decade, according to the DA’s office. He became upset when his sister moved into the home with them and carried out the shooting attack just nine days later.
“Bushey’s agitated and aggressive behavior became so concerning that police were called to the house twice for disturbances,” the DA’s office said. “By the day of the shootings, the family was on the verge of beginning the eviction process for Bushey and had ordered a surveillance system to be installed in the home. The internet system that was based in Bushey’s bedroom was relocated to another area of the home, upsetting him even further.”
The Times of San Diego reported how prosecutors described in their opening statements what Bushey said to his family before retrieving his secret shotgun.
“Where’s the internet?” Bushey asked.
“That’s when the terror began,” said Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello.
Bushey’s mother, June Bushey, told jurors she “ran like hell” after he opened fire on the family.
“The neighbors were yelling at me to ‘keep down,’” she reportedly testified.
Bushey’s mother outlined how he was known to play computer games all day long while the Wi-Fi router was in his room. Moving it was the final straw, according to prosecutors.
“Sixty years of emotion, anger and resentment exploded into seconds of unthinkable violence,” said Deputy Public Defender Denis Lainez during opening statements, while attempting to mount a defense that blamed Bushey’s family for provoking him.
Bushey was known to allegedly have emotional outbursts in the past. Lainez told jurors he was depressed, “angry” and “confused” after he tested positive for HIV, and was unemployed.
“I’m sick; I’m dying,” Lainez quoted his client as saying, according to the Times of San Diego. “I’m just a sick loser without a job.”
Lainez claimed that Bushey “didn’t mean to hurt” his mother and was wrestling with his nephew over the gun when it started going off.
“My entire life, I have refused to see doctors. I feel like nothing,” Lainez quoted Bushey as saying. “I am going to be homeless. I am filled with rage.”
In addition to the life sentences, Bushey was also ordered to serve 82 years in prison.
“We would not have let you be homeless,” said family member Kyle Robinson, who is the twin brother of Brett Robinson, at Bushey’s sentencing, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
“We would not have tried to make your life miserable,” Kyle Robinson added. “Instead of accepting the empathy on the other side of your bedroom door, you stewed in resentment toward us for no good reason.”
Bushey reportedly refused to speak at his sentencing, which his mother called out.
“You can’t even face us, can you?” June Bushey told her son. “What you have done has been very selfish … We’re going to survive. We’re going to stay together as a family … You have a lot to make up (for), but I don’t think you will. You don’t have it in you. You never had it in you.”