State’s Attorney James Glasgow announces that Deanthony Williamson, 32, of Joliet, was sentenced today by Circuit Court Judge Vincent Cornelius to 12 years in prison for the 2018 shooting of a rifle into a home. Today’s sentencing follows a May bench trial before Cornelius at which he found Williamson guilty of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm (a Class 1 Felony), Unlawful Use of Weapon by Felon (a Class 2 Felony), and Possession of a Firearm Without the Requisite Firearms Owner Identification Card (a Class 3 Felony).

In September 2018, Williamson shot a Carbine rifle at a home on Hobbs Street in Joliet. The bullet went through the outside wall and into the front upstairs bedroom, over the heads of four sleeping children. Following the incident, Williamson led the police on a car chase after they attempted to pull him over for failing to stop at a stop sign. He then got out of the car and led the police on a foot pursuit, during which he threw the rifle over a fence. After Williamson was apprehended, police recovered the high-powered rifle from the backyard on the other side of the fence.

“The indiscriminate firing of a weapon in the direction of a home with four innocent sleeping children is reflective of an abandoned and malignant heart,” Glasgow said. “The defendant will have over a decade in prison to think about his criminal conduct that easily could have resulted in the loss of precious lives.”

Williamson was sentenced to 12 years in prison on the Aggravated Discharge count and 6 years in prison on the Unlawful Use of Weapon count, to be served concurrently. Williamson also was found guilty on the Possession of a Firearm count; however, this was not sentenced separately as it was merged into another count. He will receive credit for 1531 days served.

Glasgow commended ASAs Alyson Wozniak and Mark Shlifka, Victim Witness Advocate Dannette Pasdertz, and the Joliet Police Department for their dedication and hard work in this case.