Champaign man gets 56 years in prison for shooting 12-year-old

URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — A Champaign man has been sentenced to over five decades in prison for a 2022 shooting that left a 12-year-old boy permanently disabled .

On Wednesday, Judge Roger Webber sentenced 30-year-old Jamonte Hill to 56 years in prison, following his conviction in December by a Champaign County jury. The jury found prosecutors had adequately proved that on October 19, 2022, Hill fired 17 shots at a car with three people inside. Lamondre Davis, sitting in the backseat, was hit in the neck by a bullet.

The then-16-year-old driver of the car testified during the trial that as she was driving with Davis and one other person, she realized they were being followed by a white Toyota. After getting behind the Toyota, she started following to figure out who had been pursuing them.

When the two cars reached the intersection of Dogwood and Kimberly Drives, that’s when police said Hill got out of his car and opened fire. The victims fled the scene of the shooting in their car and called 911 once they felt it was safe to do so and waited for first responders on Sangamon Drive.

After the victims described Hill’s car to police, their investigation found the car had been spotted by an automated license plate reader unit in the area. The car was registered to Hill’s girlfriend, who testified that Hill was the one using it the day of the shooting.

Hill was arrested three months after the shooting and was charged with attempted murder. Investigators found gunshot residue and Hill’s fingerprint inside the Toyota; while the exact gun used in the shooting was never recovered, a gun of the same caliber was found in Hill’s home with his DNA on it.

At sentencing, prosecutors recommended life in prison. They cited Hill’s prior criminal record, which included four gun and drug convictions, and the danger he posed to the community. The shooting, they said, showed he was willing to fire at someone for simply being suspicious of them.

Hill, representing himself, admitted that he had done things he shouldn’t have, but requested a sentence of eight years in prison. He also argued that his Class X felony conviction should be downgraded to Class 1.

Judge Weber found that while there was some provocation in Hill being followed by the car Davis was in, there was no evidence showing that Hill’s life was being threatened that night. He ultimately sentenced Hill to 56 years in prison, close to the maximum that a different judge said in January was applicable in the case.

Hill must serve at least 85% of his sentence.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.