15-Year-Old Pleads Guilty to Firing Gun Near Champaign School

Accident – Death – Obituary News : URBANA — In a significant development, a 15-year-old male has pleaded guilty to firing a gun during a violent shootout that took place near Champaign’s Booker T. Washington STEM Academy back in September. The plea, made before Champaign County Judge Anna Benjamin, sees the teenager admitting to one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school. As a result, the state has agreed to withdraw its motion to prosecute him as an adult, provided he abides by the terms of the juvenile sentence that will be handed down on January 9.

The negotiated plea was reached between the defense attorney, Brian King, and Assistant State’s Attorney Brooke Hinman under the provisions of the “extended jurisdiction juvenile” statute. This statute allows for a blend of juvenile and adult laws to be applied during sentencing. As part of the plea agreement, the state will also drop two pending juvenile charges against the teenager: one count of criminal trespass to a motor vehicle and one count of resisting a peace officer.

The 15-year-old was identified as one of the individuals involved in the September 14 incident, during which two groups exchanged gunfire near the school grounds. Fortunately, no one was injured in the shootout. Hinman stated that if the case had gone to trial, the state would have presented evidence that witnesses saw four boys chasing two others during the incident. Camera footage also showed the 15-year-old being pursued by another boy. Later on, the same boy was seen on video approaching the 15-year-old from behind and brandishing a gun. Gunfire can be heard on the video recording, and two spent shell casings were discovered at the scene.

According to Hinman, the 15-year-old informed the police that earlier in the day, a male had chased him and displayed a firearm. In response, the teenager fled and later met up with his friends, who armed themselves. The 15-year-old claimed to have blacked out and had no recollection of what happened to the gun he used. The firearm in question was never recovered. However, when the police arrested two other individuals connected to the shooting, they did seize two guns, several magazines, and nearly 400 bullets.

Following his guilty plea, the defense attorney, King, requested that the 15-year-old be released on certain conditions, such as GPS monitoring, before his sentencing hearing. King argued that the teenager had already spent 72 days in custody, and his mother was eager to spend time with him during the upcoming holiday period. However, Hinman objected to the motion, citing the seriousness of the offense and highlighting the multiple instances where the teenager required redirection and areas where he could show improvement, as indicated in a detention report.

Judge Benjamin ultimately sided with the prosecution and denied the motion for the 15-year-old’s release. Youths adjudicated to the Department of Juvenile Justice receive indeterminate sentence terms. As an adult, the 15-year-old would have faced a sentence ranging from six to 30 years for the class X felony charge of aggravated discharge of a firearm.

This case highlights the complexities surrounding juvenile offenders and the legal framework designed to address their actions. The forthcoming sentencing hearing will determine the consequences that the 15-year-old will face for his involvement in the September shootout..