Man sentenced for teen’s murder at the ‘cut’ near Woodbridge High School

[TeddyR]

Kawain Tyrell Smalls, 21, of Woodbridge, pleaded guilty in November to first-degree murder for the Nov. 10, 2014 shooting death of 16-year-old Brenden Wilson.

At an emotional sentencing hearing Monday, Prince William Circuit Court Judge Steven S. Smith sentenced Smalls to 75 years in prison, with 25 years suspended, plus three years of probation.
***
Conway asked the judge to sentence Smalls to life in prison, with all but 50 years suspended, citing his lengthy criminal record and the seriousness of the crime. Smalls had several prior convictions, including convictions for violent crimes and firearms offenses. He was out on bond, and on house arrest with an ankle bracelet monitoring device at the time of Wilson’s murder Conway said.

http://www.insidenova.com/headlines/man-sentenced-for-teen-s-murder-at-the-cut-near/article_332faaea-ea5e-11e5-b7bc-ab4a715b29e0.html

I see a lot of comments about the fact that we need stricter gun controls laws and that will help cut down on gun violence. The problem is the criminals determined to commit crimes and who aren't going to worry about whether they should or should not have a firearm. Here we have a guy who was on bond for prior violent offenses and yet still used a firearm to shoot someone 6 times in the back and once in the head. He wasn't deterred by the existing gun laws that barred him from owning a firearm. And he only received a 50 year sentence for taking the life of another in a robbery/shooting when he already had existing violent crime convictions, which to me it too lenient a sentence.

[DonP]

1. Here's another one - "Arrested 43 times" - shoots three police

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-police-id-man-killed-after-wounding-3-chicago-cops-20160315-story.html

"The man killed in a shootout with Chicago police that wounded three officers has a long arrest record that includes unlawful use of a weapon and injuring an officer while resisting arrest, according to police and court records.

Authorities say the officers approached Lamar Harris, 29, and a woman around 9:40 p.m. Monday as police were investigating possible drug activity in the 3700 block of West Polk Avenue in the Homan Square neighborhood. Harris took off running and the officers chased Harris through a dark courtyard, police said in a statement.

Police said in a statement that Harris has a total of 43 arrests on his record, 11 of them on felony charges. Harris was convicted seven times, five on felony charges and twice on misdemeanor charges, the department said. Harris' most recent felony conviction was on Jan. 9, 2012, on charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and resisting a peace officer, causing injury."

Arrested 43 times, convicted of 5 felonies, several involved gun charges, but still out on the street with a gun. But somehow more gun laws will stop people like this from getting their hands on guns in Illinois, already complete with UBC. I know, let's blame Indiana or Illinois Concealed Carry.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

2. The problem is NOT that guns are on the street...

...the problem is that CRIMINALS, like this, are.