For the murder of a teenage boy killed only moments after he got off his school bus, and for the attempted murder of another teen, a jury in Louisiana took just 27 minutes to find Andrew Pernell, 21, guilty, prompting Pernell to erupt in laughter.

That reaction came after a trial that lasted less than a week and according to local Fox affiliate WVUE it was not the only time Pernell was animated in the Washington Parish courtroom. Prosecutors also highlighted at closing arguments that Pernell made an obscene gesture toward a juvenile witness in the courtroom and when a different witness began testifying, Pernell had formed his hand into the shape of a gun and pointed it at the person.

He faces a mandatory life sentence and will be sentenced on Sept. 5.

The 21-year-old’s road to that sentence started in August 2021 when Pernell, a resident of Angie, Louisiana, drove around the city of Bogalusa and shot randomly at those he passed, including children.

One of his victims, Aaron Brown, 18, was returning home from Bogalosa High School on the school bus when not long after disembarking, he was shot several times as he stood on a street corner along Dan Street and Hickory Avenue. Police said Pernell shot at Brown from a vehicle he rode in with two others including Jayden Brister and a 17-year-old who Bogalosa Police did not identify, but both of whom have since been charged.

Prosecutors said multiple spent cartridges were recovered from the scene where Brown was shot and were later tracked back to Pernell.

What followed after Brown’s murder was a shooting spree on Sept. 15, 2021. Pernell fired nearly two dozen shots at someone’s home in Bogalusa where three children and a bed-bound disabled woman were  home. Fortunately, no one was hit or injured but Pernell still damaged the property.

Less than a week later, he shot another teenager just moments after the teen got off a school bus. This victim was a 13-year-old who survived the hail of gunfire. Pernell had fired at least nine shots during this episode and was eventually caught by police as he fled the scene. He crashed his car and a gun he tried to throw away during the chase was reportedly found by police and linked back to his DNA.

Local NBC affiliate WDSU reported that when Pernell’s gun and phone were taken by police after his arrest, text messages showed him communicating with his co-defendant Matthew Kennedy discussing the purchasing of guns and plotting a murder.

He told Kennedy “I kill ppl.”

Another man reportedly linked to the murder, Jayden Brister, had shared texts with Pernell before the shooting. In one message, Louisiana District Attorney Colin Sims said Pernell sent a text to Brister stating: “had an AR and needed a body.”

After Pernell shot Brown, Sims revealed that Pernell sent another message where he explained that he hoped to dump the weapon.

Pernell was found guilty of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and assault by drive-by shooting. Brister, who was a juveniel at the time and later charged as an adult pleaded guilty to his role in the murder of Aaron Brown was sentenced to 30 years.