Peoria Standard

May 23, 2024, Peoria, IL – Eric R. Jackson, 21, was sentenced to 90 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after being convicted of First Degree Murder and two counts of Aggravated Battery for a 2021 Fourth of July shooting that killed Michael Johnson II, 21, and left two others with gunshot wounds. During the January jury trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Jackson fired at least 15 shots at the victims. Johnson was fatally shot in the back of the head while he sat in the passenger seat of a car parked outside his home. The driver of that car sustained a gunshot wound to the back, and a third victim, who was sitting on the porch, was shot in the face.

During the sentencing hearing, Johnson’s mother held up a picture of him with his son while she shared the family's struggle since his murder. She described their experiences with depression and sleepless nights and emphasized that Johnson’s son, who was five months old at the time of his father's murder, will have to grow up without him. They asked the judge to sentence Jackson to life in prison to pay for the life he took and because "no one is safe with him on the streets." Assistant State’s Attorney Donna Cruz echoed these sentiments, stating that "the streets and community are not safe if Jackson is set free," calling the murder "a cold, premeditated, and calculated ambush."

Judge John Vespa sentenced Jackson to 65 years in prison for the murder count to be served at 100% and 25 years on one count of aggravated battery to be served after his murder sentence. On the second aggravated battery charge, he was sentenced to 25 years which will be served concurrently with his other sentences making the total sentence 90 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

###