Joliet man gets 23-year sentence for drive-by shooting that wounded 8-year-old boy

June 18

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that a Joliet man who wounded an 8-year-old boy in a drive-by shooting was sentenced to 23 years in prison Thursday.

Corey M. Kelly, 24, was convicted in March on charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm following a three-day jury trial. Associate Judge Robert Livas sentenced Kelly.  

Kelly was inside a vehicle when he fired several rounds at Demarcus Johnson, who was standing in the 700 block of East Washington Street in Joliet on the afternoon of Sept. 16, 2004.

The shots missed Johnson, but a stray bullet struck an 8-year-old boy, who was inside his living room doing homework. The child was hit in the arm but survived the attack.

“Our children should be safe from such reckless acts of street violence while they are inside their homes,” Glasgow said. “Corey Kelly displayed a callous and shameful disregard for human life when he opened fire that day. Our streets and our homes will be safer with him behind bars.”

Kelly fled the scene after the shooting. Police picked him up on a warrant two months later in south suburban Matteson.

Glasgow credited Assistant State’s Attorneys Chris Regis and Patrick McKenna for successfully prosecuting the case and for securing a lengthy sentence. Under Illinois sentencing guidelines, Kelly must serve at least 85 percent of his prison term.