Wheaton, IL – A DeKalb man was sentenced to 45 years in prison after being convicted of shooting an innocent man in the face with a shotgun during a 2021 work break in West Chicago.
According to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, the sentence for 38-year-old Ahmad Steele was issued Friday by Judge Daniel Guerin, following a three-day trial that concluded in March. Steele was found guilty of one count of Attempt First Degree Murder and one count of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm.
The shooting occurred on January 28, 2021, around 7:50 p.m., when officers responded to a report at Mapei Corporation on Industrial Drive. The victim was found walking around the parking lot with a serious facial injury, believed to have been caused by a shotgun blast. Authorities say the victim had been sitting in his vehicle during a dinner break when Steele, driving a Chevrolet Blazer, parked nearby, exited his vehicle with a shotgun, and approached the victim. Steele allegedly fired into the vehicle, striking the victim in the face. He reportedly returned to fire again before fleeing the scene.
Steele was arrested on February 6, 2021, by Naperville police after being identified in a traffic stop. He has remained in custody at the DuPage County Jail since that time. The victim survived the attack after undergoing multiple surgeries, but passed away from unrelated causes in 2023.
State’s Attorney Robert Berlin called the act “extremely violent” and “unprovoked,” emphasizing the lasting trauma inflicted on both the victim and community. Steele must serve 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
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