Round Lake man pleads guilty to shooting friend in head
A Round Lake man accused of killing a friend by accidentally shooting him in the head with a shotgun during a birthday celebration in March pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Lake County court Friday.
As part of the negotiated plea deal approved by Judge Charles Johnson, Joey Gonzalez, 19, of the 300 block of Maple Lane, was sentenced to 4½ years in prison for killing David J. Graham, 20, of Round Lake Park, in an unincorporated area near Lake Villa.
Gonzalez will be eligible to receive day-for-day credit for his time spent in prison, Johnson said. He will also receive credit for 271 days already spent in Lake County jail.
"You have to use this as a learning experience to make your life better in the future," Johnson said in court.
Gonzalez also pleaded guilty to one count of burglary for taking items and cash from an Ingleside house in 2016. The burglary was uncovered after Gonzalez was arrested for the shotgun shooting and his DNA was tested, Assistant Lake County State's Attorney Danielle Pascucci said.
"I just want to say I'm sorry this happened," Gonzalez said after the plea deal was approved in court. "He was one of my best friends and one of the best kids I ever met."
Authorities say Graham was out celebrating his birthday with Gonzalez and three other adults just after midnight March 13 when he stopped his vehicle in the area of West Monaville Road and West Old Monaville Road near Lake Villa.
Authorities said Graham and Gonzalez got out of the car to fire a sawed-off shotgun into the air in celebration. Gonzalez was holding the shotgun when he returned to the back seat and Graham to the driver's seat of the vehicle. The weapon discharged and Graham was struck in the head, authorities said.
Graham was driven by the friends to the Northwestern Medicine Grayslake Outpatient Center at 12:45 a.m. where he was pronounced dead.
Others in the vehicle were not charged in the shooting, authorities said.
After being taken into custody, Graham consented to a DNA test, Pascucci said in court Friday. The test matched a blood sample recovered from a 2016 residential burglary on the 36000 block of North Tara Court in Ingleside.
During Friday's plea deal hearing, Denise Graham described David Graham as a promising artist and loving son.
"I know I'm going to see my son again," Denise Graham said in court. "Joey, I never met you. ... You took my son from me. But I have to try and forgive you because, if I don't, I'll never see my son again."