CHICAGO — A suburban man has been sentenced to three years for firing a gun during an incident outside a West Loop hotel. Tyrale Johnson, 31, pleaded guilty to endangering others by reckless discharge of a firearm before Judge Adrienne Davis last week, court records show.
Hotel gatherings were a significant driver of shootings and gun-related incidents around the downtown area after occupancy plummeted during COVID and hotel operators slashed rates to generate income.
Chicago police responded to a call of shots fired in the 100 block of North Jefferson around 2:27 a.m. on April 11, 2021, and spoke with witnesses who described the gunman, a CPD said at the time.
Officers also reviewed surveillance video that showed the man walking out of a business and passing through a group of people. Police said the video showed him pulling out a handgun and shooting at the group. No one was injured, but bullets struck several nearby vehicles.
Police spotted Johnson walking several blocks away and ordered him to stop. Instead, prosecutors alleged, he tossed a gun into a puddle of water and kept walking. After detaining Johnson, officers returned to the puddle and recovered a handgun from the water.
Prosecutors said Johnson admitted to firing three shots into the air.
Johnson arrived at Stateville Correctional Center on Thursday. His sentence will be reduced by 50% for good behavior and another 407 days for credits earned in jail. While his parole date is not yet posted on the Illinois Department of Corrections website, he should expect to be released in early 2024.