A 19-year-old Aurora man has been sentenced to 33 years in prison in connection with a 2023 fatal shooting in the city, according to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Zahmeir Andrews, 19, was 16 years old at the time of the shooting, and was ultimately found guilty of first-degree murder in July.
According to statements presented in court by Kane County Assistant State’s Attorneys Mark Stajdohar and Adam Katz, at around 7:24 p.m. Aug. 20, 2023, Aurora police received multiple 911 calls about a vehicle crash and a person shot in the 1300 block of North Glen Circle in Aurora, a news release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office said.
More Top Picks Best Hisense Tvs
Responding officers found Edwin Varela, 19, of Aurora, with gunshot wounds inside a crashed vehicle, the news release said. He was taken to a local hospital by paramedics and pronounced dead a short time later, according to officials.
According to prosecutors, Varela and his girlfriend, who was in the passenger seat of the vehicle, had been planning to go to dinner that evening when Varela allegedly told her he needed to make a stop to sell illegal cannabis and vape cartridges, per the State’s Attorney’s Office.
The two individuals drove to the area of North Glen Circle, and Varela stopped the vehicle near three individuals and began discussing payment with one of them, according to the release.
A fourth person, later identified as Andrews, then approached the vehicle carrying a handgun, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office. Varela allegedly backed out of a driveway and then put his car into drive to go forward, at which point Andrews began firing into the vehicle, the news release said.
Varela was struck multiple times, and the vehicle kept moving after he was shot and crashed into several parked cars, the State’s Attorney’s Office said. His girlfriend was not struck during the shooting.
Being 16 years old at the time of the shooting, Andrews was prohibited by law from possessing the handgun, the State’s Attorney’s Office has said.
The three other individuals identified and charged in connection with the shooting included two juveniles, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office. The third was Daniel D. Robinson, 18, whose case remains pending.
In July, Andrews was found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, attempted armed robbery and unlawful possession of a weapon, officials said.
Now, Andrews faces 33 years in state prison, per the State’s Attorney’s Office. He was sentenced to consecutive terms of 25 years for first-degree murder and eight years for attempted first-degree murder, for an aggregate sentence of 33 years. He must serve the full 25-year murder sentence and 85% of the eight-year sentence for attempted first-degree murder, the office said.
More Top Picks 1more Sonoflow
He was also sentenced concurrently to four years for attempted armed robbery and two years for unlawful possession of a weapon, both of which are eligible for day-to-day sentencing, the State’s Attorney’s Office said. He receives credit for 1,333 days served in the Kane County jail.