TIFT COUNTY, Ga. — Sean Xavier Ross, 37, of Tifton, was sentenced Feb. 13 to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus an additional 25 years for the 2024 murder of Brendan Burns.
The sentencing follows Ross’ conviction for the Jan. 29, 2024, shooting of Burns in a car wash parking lot.
During the shooting near the intersection of 17th Street and South Central Avenue in Tifton, bullets fired by Ross also struck passing vehicles. One bullet was mere inches from where a 2-year-old child was sitting in a car seat.
Ross had approached Burns from behind before firing the shots in the parking lot of the car.
The Tifton Police Department requested help from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to lead the case on the day of the shooting. GBI agents worked alongside local detectives throughout the investigation into Burns’ death.
On Nov. 20, 2025, a Tift County jury returned guilty verdicts against Ross for malice murder, felony murder, five counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during a crime. District Attorney Patrick Warren and Chief DA Investigator Melissa Luke prosecuted the case.
Chief Superior Court Judge Bill Reinhardt presided over the sentencing.
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