A Chicago man was sentenced to 65 years in prison Friday for shooting and killing a father of five over a minor rear-end car accident in Waukegan.
Sheldon L. Brown, 35, of Chicago, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in October 2020.
Brown pleaded guilty in March to one count of first-degree murder in exchange for his other two counts being dismissed.
The charges stem from a shooting that occurred around 11:50 p.m. October 9, 2020, near 8th Street and Jackson Street in Waukegan.
The Waukegan Police Department said at the time that they responded to a call of shots fired in the area.
Officers arrived and found a male victim, identified as Dwayne Young, 38, of Beach Park, lying in the street with a gunshot wound next to a white SUV.
Paramedics from the Waukegan Fire Department arrived at the scene and transported Young to an area hospital where he died.
Detectives were able to identify Brown as the suspect through witnesses and the community.
Brown later confessed to detectives in a videotaped statement, prosecutors said.
Detectives said that the shooting was a result of a road rage incident.
Young accidentally rear-ended Brown’s maroon sedan, police said, adding that the two men did not know each other.
Prosecutors said that Brown exited his car brandishing a handgun and approached Young, who was unarmed and still seated in his car.
Brown fired several times into Young’s car, striking the victim, who was a father of five kids, prosecutors said.
Officers arrested Brown the next day and found him in possession of a handgun.
“This devastating incident left five young people without the love and guidance of a father, a wife without a partner, and a community without a beloved friend. This case is just another example of how easy access to weapons can turn everyday incidents like fender benders into a fight for life and death,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said.
“We hope that this long prison sentence gives Mr. Young’s family and friends some solace. Our victim specialists will continue to support them,” Rinehart said.
Brown has been representing himself in court since March after having been previously represented by private attorneys and attorneys from the public defender’s office.
Brown was sentenced on Friday to 65 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections by Lake County Judge George Strickland.
Brown had faced a minimum sentence of 45 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Young’s wife and oldest son spoke during the sentencing hearing about the loss they suffered.
The state’s attorney’s office said that Brown received no reduction in his sentencing range in exchange for his guilty plea in March.
The man’s 65-year sentence will be served at 100%.
Brown will be transferred to Cook County to face trial for separate cases, including a murder there.