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Teenage boy convicted on weapons charges in parking lot shooting
By Tony Sapochetti
tsapochetti@pantagraph.com
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PONTIAC — A 14-year-old boy reportedly involved in shots being fired in July in a Pontiac store parking lot was convicted Wednesday.

The juvenile was found delinquent — the juvenile-court equivalent of guilty — on three counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm without a valid a firearm owner’s identification card and one count of possession of a stolen firearm.

The incident happened around 9 p.m. July 12 when Ronald Porter Jr., 20, of Chicago fired a handgun toward four people in the County Market parking lot, prosecutors said.

The boy, who was 13 at the time, was convicted of what prosecutors said was his role in holding the gun and then giving it to Porter at the store.

“You told Porter about the gun,” Livingston County Circuit Judge Jennifer Bauknecht said. “You’re the one who put the gun in his hand.”

After the shots were fired, Porter fled into a home across the street in the 500 block of West Washington Street while the juvenile remained in the area, prosecutors said. Both were found and arrested.

The gun was later determined to be stolen.

Assistant State’s Attorney Carey Luckman argued the boy was aiding Porter by telling him where the gun was, holding it for him and then giving it to him.

Defense attorney Mark Johnson argued there never was evidence that projectiles were fired.

“The state has failed to prove that Porter shot projectiles,” he said. “The video shows Ron Porter pointing the gun at a 45 degree angle.”

Sentencing has been scheduled on Oct. 14 in juvenile court.

Bauknecht said the boy faces a maximum sentence of five years on probation or conditional discharge or being sentenced to the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice until his 21st birthday.

One count of aggravated discharge of a firearm was dropped because it was undetermined exactly where one of the four people was during the incident or whether he actually was involved.

The juvenile-court hearing in the case began with a session in mid-August and resumed Wednesday.

Porter previously entered a blind plea of guilty to seven counts connected to this incident, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday.

Under provisions of the Illinois Juvenile Court Act, names of people under 17 years of age are not a matter of public record in connection with certain offenses.

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Reader comments on this story - 6 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Flood Of Truth wrote on Sep 4, 2008 12:23 PM:

" To Gov Mule:
Pontiac has been cracking down since the gun scare at the high school August 28 last year.... The new judge's are cracking the whip! Whats it going to take here in Bloomington...?...More people who "didnt see nothin". Wake up people and start taking your community back! "

fyi wrote on Sep 3, 2008 8:55 PM:

" I don't get this. Was the boy convicted in juvenile court or adult court? Must've been juvi court, as if he were convicted in adult court, then the name would not be protected as an 'adult'. "

BigBrother wrote on Sep 3, 2008 8:21 PM:

" This is so right in the face of the McLean County States Attorneys office. Arrested , charged, prosecuted, held accountable and done with professional efficiency. He was charged with every available count and then the inappropriate ones dropped. Not charged with one lesser account and then plea bargained to a slap on the hand. Its time the states attorneys office started charging the criminals with every charge they can and stop plea bargaining away the crimes. "

Grandma of Two wrote on Sep 3, 2008 4:11 PM:

" Personally, all juveniles who are convicted of a offense which had weapons present should be charged as adults. "

Gov't oppressed Mule wrote on Sep 3, 2008 2:52 PM:

" But then again "Mayor" Stockton would probably just claim it didn't happen and was a sole fabrication of the Pantagraph trying to drum up readers, much like he claimed the purse snatching on the East Side was a fabrication. "

Gov't oppressed Mule wrote on Sep 3, 2008 2:51 PM:

" WHAT!?!?!?! A JUVENILE CONVICTED OF COMMITTING A CRIME?!?!?! According to BPD, Bloomington City Council, and the DA's office's statements towards juvenile offenders, I thought juveniles were UNTOUCHABLE?!?!?! Maybe we should send them this article. "
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