The 2003 West Virginia sniper attacks were a series of sniper-style shootings that took place over the course of several days in August 2003 in the U.S. state of West Virginia, killing three people. The victims were killed by a single bullet from long distances as they stopped at shops or gas stations. In July 2012, Shawn Lester, who had been indicted for all three murders in 2011, pleaded guilty to the second degree murder of one of the victims. The charges with respect to the other two murders were dropped as part of a plea bargain. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.