Tyler Getchell (left) has been jailed for seven years for shooting neighbour Kyle McFarlane (right) (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office | GoFundMe)

A Florida man has been sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to shooting and permanently injuring his LGBTQ+ neighbour following weeks of alleged anti-gay harassment.

As reported by The Florida Times-Union, Tyler Getchell, 30, pled guilty on 4 May to attempted manslaughter in the November 2025 shooting of Kyle McFarlane, 24, whose spinal injuries left him paralysed from the waist down.

In addition to his prison sentence, Getchell must complete mental health follow-ups after his release, serve probation, pay restitution, and have no contact with McFarlane or his family.

In a 17 July Facebook post to McFarlane’s profile following the sentencing, McFarlane addressed his attacker directly: “Seven years prison. Two years community service. Three years probation. Restitution. You will, indeed, have a long time to think about what you did.”

He added that while he does not hate Getchell personally, he does hate his actions. “I don’t hate you, Tyler Getchell. I hate your behaviour. Enjoy your sentence.”

According to court records and local reporting, the shooting came after months of escalating harassment. McFarlane said Getchell and his girlfriend repeatedly targeted him, prompting him to install security cameras around his home.

As reported by First Coast News, the couple allegedly displayed anti-LGBTQ+ signs facing his property, including one containing anti-gay and anti-trans slurs, smeared dog faeces on his home, and mistreated his dogs.

On the day of the shooting, McFarlane was collecting discarded wood for a bonfire when Getchell’s girlfriend confronted him with a belt, threatening him if he didn’t get off their property. Video showed that McFarlane was on the land’s easement, allowing him to legally be there.

After Getchell’s girlfriend confronted him, McFarlane began walking away before Getchell shot him in the back. The bullet remains lodged near his spine, leaving him with permanent paralysis and affecting his bowel and bladder function, according to a GoFundMe, though doctors hope intensive rehabilitation may restore some mobility.

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