Jury finds man guilty of murder and attempted murder in Decatur shooting

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - A jury has found a man guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with a drive-by shooting in Decatur in 2021.

Dreylynn M. O'Neal was found guilty of the murder of Demeshiona Fonville.

He was also found guilty of attempted murder.

O'Neal will be sentenced July 2.

O'Neal was among those arrested following the September 19, 2021, shooting that claimed the life of 17-year-old Fonville and injured another 17-year-old.

Sworn affidavits said 20-year-old Quantarius S. Beasley, 20-year-old Dreylynn M. O'Neal and 22-year-old Bryan C. McGee were picked up on the day of the shooting by Celeste S. Bowman, who went with a 16-year-old minor to the 300 block of E. Stuart St. before picking the men up. After the group drove around to several places, they went to East Walnut Street, where authorities said the passenger side window was rolled down and shots were fired from the window.

About an hour later, authorities said Beasley, O'Neal and McGee were dropped off in the 400 block of E. Stuart St.

An affidavit said one suspect told police backseat passengers had asked the driver to "drive down Leafland" to look for houses associated with the East Side Gang. When nobody was on Leafland, they went to Walnut, where a suspect told authorities said they saw McGee hanging out of the rear driver's side window while shooting at a vehicle in the road. The suspect said they believed O'Neal was also firing gunshots and was observed to possess a black semi-automatic pistol before the shooting.

O'Neal, who authorities said in a known member of the Jumpout Gang in Decatur, denied involvement in the shooting.