A seven-time convicted felon who was shot while attempting to kill a concealed carry holder in 2022 has been sentenced to 20 years in prison: 17 years for attempted murder and three years for a gun charge for which he was on bail at the time of the shooting.
Shortly after midnight on August 22, 2022, a 45-year-old concealed carry holder escorted a female friend home after leaving a club. After safely returning her home, he proceeded to his own home, according to officials.
According to prosecutors, while he parked in the 5500 block of West Crystal, Willie Barnes, wearing a ski mask, drew up alongside him in a car and began firing. The victim returned fire, hitting Barnes in the abdomen.
Investigators initially assumed the victim had been targeted in a carjacking, but they later discovered Barnes had a kid with the woman he escorted home.
The victim dialed 911 while keeping his firearm trained on Barnes, who was screaming out about “wanting to live and heal” as he lay wounded on the ground, according to prosecutors. At 1:27 a.m., police got two ShotSpotter warnings from the gunshot scene.
Officers discovered Barnes sleeping behind a Buick, allegedly attempting to conceal a rifle and ski mask beneath the vehicle’s back tire. He was conscious but gravely hurt. The victim remained uninjured.
Barnes was on bail at the time of the shooting for a Class X armed habitual criminal charge, as well as on supervised release for a federal narcotics case for which he was sentenced to ten years in 2023. His previous felony convictions included two robberies and a carjacking in 2003.
According to court records, Judge Angela Munari-Petrone sentenced Barnes to 17 years for attempted murder and three consecutive years for being a felon in possession of a handgun. He pleaded guilty on both counts. The Illinois Department of Corrections has yet to announce his projected parole date.