FALL RIVER - Two New Bedford men are found guilty of first-degree murder in a nearly three-year-old slaying.

The Bristol County District Attorney's Office says Angel Acevedo, 26, and Aaron Bookman, 25, were convicted Wednesday in the December 31, 2015 killing of Aaron Gant, Jr. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before returning the guilty verdict in Fall River Superior Court.

The conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison with no chance for parole.

Both men were also found guilty of carrying an illegal firearm.

Gant was shot in the back of the head while he was a passenger in a car on Grinnell Street. The fatal shots came from another vehicle driven by Acevedo and Bookman.

Prosecutors have said gang rivalry was the motivation for the killing.

Acevedo and Bookman will be sentenced Thursday morning in Fall River Superior Court.

More From WBSM-AM/AM 1420