Shooter with history of criminal activity in Rockford sentenced to 15 years in prison

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A man with a history of criminal activity and shootings in Rockford has been sentenced to spend 15 years in prison after being convicted in three separate violent incidents in the past two years.

According to Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley, Derrian Gamill, 23, pleaded guilty to two counts of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm and one count of Residential Burglary.

On February 14th, Rockford Police responded to the Rockford Ridge Apartments (formerly Concord Commons), in the 3000 block of Elm Street, and located a victim who sustained gunshot wounds to the hip and finger, according to authorities.

Officials were able to identify Gamill on surveillance video before and after the shooting.

Five days later, Gamill was accused of a shooting at the same apartment complex, according to police.

Witnesses told police that Gamill was shooting at an apartment and woke the residents up at 3:18 a.m. on February 19th. No one was injured, but property was damaged, police said.

Authorities said they could identify Gamill from video surveillance and track him back to an apartment within the complex.

Gamil was also the shooter on October 9th, 2023, in the 3500 block of Elm Street. The victim in that case was able to get to a local hospital for treatment.

On March 22nd, 2022, Gamill burglarized a woman’s apartment in the 300 block of Cameron Avenue, in the Rockford Ridge Apartment complex. He was identified via fingerprints, authorities said.

He was sentenced to 15 years on the Aggravated Battery with a Firearm charges, and 10 years on the Residential Burglary charge.

Since 2019, Gamill has been the subject of 15 criminal felony investigations.

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