A former resident of Chicago, on Friday September 9, 2022, was sentenced to 65 years in prison for the October 2020 shooting that left a father of five dead in Waukegan.
Sheldon Brown, 34, pled guilty on March 25, 2022, to one count of first-degree murder for the fatal attack on Dwayne Young that occurred after a minor traffic collision.
At Friday’s sentencing hearing, Judge George Strickland heard from Young’s wife and oldest son about the loss they had suffered since October 2020. Brown did not call any witnesses at the hearing. As with all first-degree murder cases, Brown’s sentence of 65 years will be served at 100%.
Since March, Brown has been representing himself in court after having been previously represented by private attorneys and attorneys from the public defender’s office. Judge George Strickland permitted Brown to act as his own attorney after a lengthy hearing to determine if Brown was waiving his right to an attorney knowingly and intelligently.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart stated, “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. We hope that this long prison sentence gives Mr. Young’s family and friends some solace. Our victim specialists will continue to support them.”
At the time of the incident, Mr. Brown had posted cash bond for a weapons offense in Cook County. Brown also has an outstanding murder charge in Cook County related to a separate incident.
On October 9, 2020, Brown and Young were driving separate vehicles that were involved in a minor collision. Brown exited his vehicle brandishing a handgun and approached Young. Brown fired several times into the car, hitting Young once. Young died at a nearby hospital shortly after the incident. Several eyewitnesses identified Brown as the shooter and Brown confessed to Waukegan Police in a videotaped statement.
Brown has been held in the Lake County Jail since he was arrested on a $3 million bond. He will be transferred to the Cook County Jail to await trial for the separate incidents in Cook County.
Under the SAFE-T Act, going into effect on January 1, 2023, defendants charged with violent crimes or crimes involving weapons, such as the one Brown was charged with in Cook County, will not be granted bond before trial if a judge orders them detained, according to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.
State’s Attorney Rinehart added, “Under the SAFE-T Act, Judges will detain violent offenders until trial regardless of their ability to post cash bond. No one’s freedom should be determined by what’s in their wallet, it should be determined by their threat level to the community.”
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