Illinois Casino Shooter Convicted, Faces 60 Years in Prison
One of the men who are believed to be behind the 2017 shooting at the Casino Queen in Illinois, now known as DraftKings at Casino Queen, is facing a hefty prison sentence. Unfortunately, the other two culprits are still at large.
The Man Was Arrested Two Years after the Incident
The man with the initials D.M. was arrested in 2019 on charges of participation in the robbery of the casino property.
The original incident occurred in 2017 when D.M. and two other men entered the property with the intention to rob it. Armed with rifles, the men fired warning shots as they entered the venue. Customers and employees were ordered to get on the floor.
One of the three men held the casino guards at gunpoint, while the other two headed toward the cashier’s cage. Larry Weber, who worked as casino security at the time, approached the cage and was shot by the criminals. His wounds were serious and required two surgical operations but, luckily, he made a recovery and even returned to work at a later date.
One casino patron also sustained injuries in the attack.
The three robbers took $47,000 from the cashier’s cage and ran away. The money was later discovered near an abandoned getaway car in East St. Louis, according to reports.
The Convict Risks 60 Years in Prison
As mentioned, D.M. was identified and arrested in 2019. His trial just took place at the St. Clair County Court in Illinois, convicting him of armed robbery and aggravated battery with a firearm. In addition to that, he was convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon.
The aforementioned crimes carry a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison.
Brendan Kelly, the director of the Illinois State Police, commented on the matter, vowing to continue pursuing justice. As the head of the investigation into the robbery, he said that the police will not stop persecuting criminals, no matter how much time has passed since the crime itself.
Kelly slammed D.M. for his “egregious actions,” accusing him and his accomplices of a “complete lack of respect for life and the law.”
Attorney James Gomric, meanwhile, thanked the ISP and other agencies for allowing the court to obtain this verdict.
