Peoria Standard

May 21, 2024, Peoria, IL – Anthony T. Gates, 43, pleaded guilty today to aggravated battery for a shooting last September at Mike’s Tavern in West Peoria that injured an employee. According to the plea agreement, Gates will serve ten years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and must serve 85% of that sentence pursuant to statute.

Just before midnight on September 9, Gates was in the bar's outdoor patio area. He was reportedly intoxicated and causing disturbances among other customers. An employee approached Gates and asked him to leave. The employee eventually had to force Gates out of the patio exit. While outside on the street, several feet away from the bar, Gates pulled out a small .22 Derringer and fired it three times towards the establishment. One of the shots hit the employee, causing a minor injury.

The employee provided deputies with a description of Gates, who was found a few blocks away. Deputies also located the gun hidden in a storm drain across the street from where Gates was taken into custody. This is Gates's first felony conviction.

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