A Peoria man convicted of second-degree murder for a fatal 2023 shooting in Limestone Township was sentenced to seven years in prison Friday during a hearing in Peoria County Circuit Court, according to a media release from the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Jared Williams, 19, was found guilty in the shooting death of Havana resident Mason Loy, 21, in the parking lot outside of Laramie Liquors in August 2023.
Williams was 17 at the time of the crime and originally faced first-degree murder charges in adult court. His jury conviction of second-degree murder in April opened a possibility for him to be sentenced as a juvenile, his attorney argued. That would have limited his time in custody only until he turns 21.
After considering arguments from both sides, Judge Stephen Kouri ruled in favor of prosecutors in issuing the sentence in adult court. Rather than a first-degree prison term of up to 60 years, second-degree murder is punishable by 4 to 20 years in custody and includes probation as an option.
Prosecutors asked for the maximum sentence, maintaining that Williams started the altercation that led to the shooting. During his two-day trial, Williams claimed he acted out of fear for his life because Loy had made prior threats to kill him and his family.
According to the news release, evidence presented during the trial indicated Williams pointed a gun at Loy in the parking lot in front of witnesses. Loy was unarmed and tried to run after seeing the gun, but Williams fired and struck him four times.
