Man guilty in shooting near Elgin school

A Rockford man involved in a shooting near an Elgin elementary school last fall was convicted Wednesday of attempted first-degree murder.

Denarrell Mabry, 21, was found guilty by Kane County Circuit Judge Allen M. Anderson after a bench trial. He faces 26 to 50 years in prison at sentencing Dec. 12.

At trial, Mabry admitted to opening fire on a vehicle full of people Sept. 8, 2007, at Hastings Street and Illinois Avenue but claimed it was self-defense. The shooting caused no injuries but set off mass panic at youth football games nearby at Huff Elementary School and Drake Field.

Assistant State's Attorney Greg Sams said eyewitness testimony and a home movie that captured the sound of six gunshots were key to prosecuting the case.

"The video was very compelling," he said, noting that it not only recorded the gunfire but also the panic as parents rushed to make sure their children weren't hurt. "Literally, it was 'bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.'"

Mabry is the second man convicted in connection with the shooting. In May, Mabry's brother, Larrell Cannon, 25, also of Rockford, pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and received six years in prison for trying to get rid of the weapon before Mabry could be arrested.

In addition to attempted first-degree murder, Mabry was convicted of aggravated discharge of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school, unlawful weapon possession by a felon and related charges.

On Wednesday, Sams said Mabry could be sentenced to no less than 26 years for his part and would have to serve at least 85 percent of the term.