Teen pleads guilty to attempted murder, sentenced to prison in Bartonville shootings

A 17-year-old accused of shooting two teenagers and wounding them during a February incident in Bartonville pled guilty Monday to attempted murder and aggravated battery, receiving a prison sentence of over three decades.

Donald Grant made his plea Monday during a hearing with Circuit Judge John Vespa, receiving 31 years in prison for attempted first degree murder and 20 years for aggravated battery with a firearm The sentences will be served concurrently.

Both teenage victims addressed Grant before he was sentenced Monday, with one saying that the incident "killed a part of him" and the other saying that he should use his time in prison to become a better person. Grant also addressed the court, apologizing for his actions.

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Grant and Evan Nettles, 20, were both arrested Feb. 20 after the two were allegedly involved in a shooting in the 300 block of Treasure Street in Bartonville. The Bartonville Police Department responded to the scene at 8 p.m. that night and found two 17-year-olds with gunshot wounds.

The two informed officers that they were driving a car when the incident occurred, on their way to sell marijuana to Grant and Nettles. When Grant entered the vehicle, he pulled out a gun, sparking an altercation between him and the unnamed driver.

Grant eventually shot the driver and took the drugs before leaving the vehicle and shooting the passenger. While all of this was going on, Nettles had been waiting outside with a rifle. Both Grant and Nettles fled the scene after the shooting.

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The two confessed to Bartonville police officers following their arrest, saying that they had planned the robbery earlier that day. Despite Grant's age, the nature of the crimes meant that his case was sent to adult court instead of going through the juvenile system.

Nettles was charged with two counts of aggravated battery and one count of armed robbery and was denied pre-trial release shortly after his arrest. He had been set for trial on April 29, but the case was continued, with a new trial date being set for July 1 at 9 a.m.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Teenager sentenced to prison for Bartonville shootings