This Oxnard Man Faces 159 Years for Deadly Ventura Shooting Spree

**VENTURA, CA — **On March 6, 2026, a Ventura County jury delivered a guilty verdict against 22-year-old Willis Nichols for a series of violent attacks that left one man dead and several others wounded. 

Nichols was convicted of first-degree murder for the 2022 killing of Adrian Sandoval, along with six other felony counts including attempted murder and assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

The conviction follows a years-long investigation into two separate, high-profile shooting incidents in Oxnard that prosecutors described as "sophisticated and planned."

The Timeline of Violence

The Collection Shooting (Dec. 24, 2021): On Christmas Eve, Nichols opened fire in the Target parking structure at The Collection at RiverPark. * Following a brief verbal dispute between occupants of two vehicles, Nichols retrieved a handgun and fired multiple rounds into a pickup truck as it attempted to leave. 

• One victim was struck multiple times, requiring emergency surgery, while another passenger narrowly escaped a bullet that traveled through the rear window.
• **The Saviers Road Party (March 12, 2022): **Just months later, Nichols targeted an "underground" party held in an abandoned Goodwill building on Saviers Road. * After arriving in a dark gray Mustang, he approached a group and opened fire at close range. Adrian Sandoval was shot in the head and killed instantly. 
• Two other victims suffered gunshot wounds to the abdomen and chest but survived.

**Forensic Breakthrough

Nichols was apprehended on March 18, 2022, after a short foot pursuit by Oxnard police. 

During the chase, he discarded a backpack containing a Glock handgun equipped with a distinctive blue laser sight. 

Forensic analysis later confirmed that shell casings recovered from the Saviers Road murder scene were a direct match to that specific firearm.

The "Youthful Offender" Controversy

Nichols is scheduled to be sentenced on April 6, 2026, where he faces a maximum of 159 years to life in state prison. However, the case has reignited a fierce debate over California’s sentencing laws.

Under current state law regarding youthful offender parole, individuals who commit crimes before the age of 26 are eligible for a parole hearing after serving 25 years. 

Because Nichols was 18 and 19 at the time of these shootings, he could potentially walk free in just 24 years, despite the 159-year "life" sentence.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Theresa Pollara emphasized the pattern of "serious criminal behavior," stating the office will seek the maximum sentence to reflect the severity of the trauma inflicted on the six victims.