Keilan McKeever says that he knows that he has a lot of behavior issues he needs to work through.
Nearly 18 months after he shot at a DoorDash driver that he believed took too long to deliver his cheesesteaks, the Upper Bucks County man will have plenty of time to focus on rehabilitating himself.
At a Sept. 15 hearing, a Bucks County judge sentenced McKeever, 33, to serve four to 10 years in state prison for the shooting incident outside his Richland home last year.
Common Pleas Judge Stephen Corr also ordered that McKeever undergo a mental health evaluation and pay more than $2,000 in restitution.
The sentence was not as long as the five-year minimum the prosecution sought. McKeever’s public defender wanted his client to remain at the county jail
where he has made progress with his rehabilitation.
He could have faced far longer time behind bars if prosecutors didn’t drop an attempted murder charge earlier after McKeever pleaded guilty to felony counts of aggravated assault and related misdemeanors earlier this year.
The mother of the delivery driver also was not happy.
“I don’t feel justice has been done at all,” Melissa Rogers said after the hearing.
What happened on Cherry Street after the DoorDash driver arrived
Pennsylvania State Police allege an angry McKeever started yelling at Khalik Lewis, then 19, after he delivered a food order to his home in the 100 block of Cherry Street on March 22, 2025.
McKeever accused Lewis of being late and delivering cold food, and followed the driver as he walked back to his Honda Civic.
As Lewis was checking his next delivery he noticed McKeever behind his car making an obscene hand gesture. Lewis hit his car horn then started driving.
He didn’t get far when his rear window shattered. Debris hit his head, but he was not injured and immediately pulled over and called 911.
A bullet fragment was later found in the hood of the sweatshirt Lewis was wearing.
When Pennsylvania State Troopers later spoke with McKeever he admitted arguing with the driver. He said he heard a backfire noise when the driver honked after pulling away.
Police executed a search warrant of McKeever's home and found three firearms including a 9mm-Luger, and a cartridge containing bullets consistent with the debris found at the scene.
Doorbell camera video from a home across the street played in court captured the confrontation between the men including yelling, car horns and finally gunshots.
Prosecutor Monica Furber urged Corr to order a sentence in the higher aggravated circumstance range, pointing out that McKeever showed intention with his actions when he picked up a loaded gun before stepping outside his house.
Furber added that Lewis delivered his food on time and he remained respectful when confronted by McKeever’s belligerent behavior.
“He was merely doing his job,” Furber said. “We are very lucky the victim is still alive.”
Authorities later learned that the angry confrontation wasn’t the first McKeever had with a delivery driver and the app had temporarily banned him previously.
Keilan McKeever apologizes to victim, family "I want to better myself"
Senior Deputy Public Defender Riley Downs countered that there is more to his client than a poor decision on one night.
At the time of the incident, McKeever was unemployed and without medical insurance unable to afford the medications that treat his anxiety and depression, Downs said.
After he was incarcerated he resumed his medications and he also accessed mental health treatment, Downs said.
McKeever has completed self-improvement programs including for anger management, dealing with trauma, and decision-making. He has a job as a caretaker for the elderly inmates.
A ninth-grade drop out, McKeever is studying for his high school General Equivalency Diploma test.
“I want to better myself,” McKeever told the court. “I do try to see the good in people.”
His voice cracking, McKeever apologized to Lewis and his family and told the court he accepts responsibility.
“I am sorry Mr. Lewis. I hope you can forgive me,” he added. “I hope Mr. Lewis and his family can try and move past this.”
Before handing down his sentence, Corr acknowledged McKeever's efforts. “I see there is potential in you,” Corr said.
As part of his sentence, he requested McKeever be allowed to remain at Bucks County Correctional Center until after the GED test.
But the judge also said he also could not ignore the facts, which he called “quite disturbing.”
“I don’t know what you were thinking,” Corr added.
The judge pointed out that McKeever’s actions put the public in danger and the situation could have turned out “much worse.”
Nearly two years later, victim says his emotional trauma is still fresh
While Lewis was not physically injured in the shooting, Corr noted that in his victim impact statement, he wrote about how the experience continues to affect his daily life.
“This is a trauma you inflicted on him,” Corr told McKeever.
Lewis did not speak at the Tuesday sentencing, but after he said when his rear window shattered, at first he thought someone threw something at it.
At the time,Lewis said he was doing food delivery to earn money to fix his car. He immediately quit after the shooting.
Nearly two years later loud noises trigger his anxiety, he said. He has trouble sleeping. He is still mentally processing what happened.
“It’s something that goes on in my mind,” he said.
Like his mom, Lewis was not satisfied with the outcome of the case.
“I feel like it could have been a heavier sentence. I feel like the judge could have seen it a little more from my point of view, instead of seeing the work he’s doing in jail."
Crime and Courts Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: DoorDash customer who shot at delivery driver in Richland sentenced
