Man gets 14 years for Decatur double shooting

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - A man was sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty in connection with a double shooting in Decatur last year.

WS Ford, 40, pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon as a part of a plea deal. Two other counts were dismissed.

The court also recommended Ford for substance abuse treatement.

According to a sworn affidavit, surveillance video showed an SUV parking in front of the front door of 22nd Street Discount Liquor, located at 1325 N. 22nd St., during the early morning hours of April 24, 2022. Police said a man is seen exiting the vehicle and approaching people near a table to the south of the front door. An argument seemed to happen before the man entered the SUV and started pulling off the parking lot.

The video showed multiple people then showing guns. The suspect, identified as Ford, is shown firing at least two rounds in a southern direction toward where the SUV fled, police said. Multiple people fired gunshots, according to a witness.

The witness described hearing a person on the lot reference the "Moes," also known as the South Side Gang. Police said this Decatur gang is involved in an ongoing feud with the East Side Gang in the city.

In the shooting, a male victim suffered a life-threatening gunshot wound to the chest. A female victim had a gunshot wound to the face. Police said the female victim was getting into a vehicle in the southern part of the parking lot, while the male was in the parking lot near the front door of the Discount Liquor business.

Ford was on parole for a 2018 case involving a charge of manufacture/delivery of cocaine in Macon County. He has multiple other felony convictions on his record.

Ford was arrested after arriving at Decatur Memorial Hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg. Police said he admitted to being on the lot at the time of the shooting and told officers he returned fire when he heard gunshots as the SUV was leaving.