On July 24, 2023, Christopher Babers pleaded guilty to Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm for a shooting that occurred on April 30, 2020, on North Pearl Street in Galesburg, Illinois. During the incident, Galesburg Police Department detectives and officers interviewed witnesses and collected spent cartridges from the scene. Around 30 minutes after the shooting, Knox County deputies apprehended Babers in Abingdon while he was driving a vehicle that matched the description provided by the witnesses. A search of the car led to the discovery of a 9mm handgun under the driver’s seat, which was still warm to the touch. Additionally, deputies found a 9mm bullet in Babers’ pocket. The Illinois State Police Forensic team conducted ballistic analysis and determined that the seized gun was the one used at the crime scene by comparing the recovered cartridges with test shots fired using the seized firearm.
The delay in this case was a result of Babers’ failure to appear at previous court dates.
The sentencing hearing for Christopher Babers is scheduled for October 2023. The defendant faces a potential sentence of between 4 to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, during which he will be required to serve 85% of any imposed sentence. Knox County State’s Attorney Jeremy Karlin handled the prosecution of this case.
***Courtesy of the Knox County State’s Attorney***
