DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) – A man who shot another and caused his death is headed to prison.
Deonta Merriweather, 23, was originally arrested on suspicious of first-degree murder for the Oct. 25, 2019 shooting death of 30-year-old Ernest Wren. Court records showed this charge was replaced with a count of unlawful use of a weapon. It’s unknown why the charge was changed.
Sworn statements said Merriweather admitted to shooting Wren, but claimed it was in self-defense after Wren obtained a gun during an argument that turned physical. More details about what police said happened in that shooting can be found here.
Merriweather shot Wren until the magazine was empty and caused a gunshot wound to the head, police said. Wren was pronounced dead at about 12:30 p.m. on the day of the shooting.
Merriweather was sentenced to two years in prison and received credit for time served from Oct. 25, 2019 to March 2, 2020. After he leaves prison, he must serve one year of mandatory supervised release.
