CHICAGO – A man who was shot when he unwisely opened fire on a concealed carry vehicle at a McDonald’s in Chicago has been sentenced to eight years in prison.
Giovanni Castanon, 21, had three misdemeanor cases pending in juvenile court when he approached the victim’s car outside the restaurant on 106th Street near the Indiana border in July 2022, officials said.
Prosecutors said a masked man approached the car and began yelling at the 49-year-old concealed carry holder and the victim’s 11-year-old daughter, who was in the backseat. The masked man, later identified as Castanon, pulled out a gun and fired several shots at the car, prompting the licensed gun owner to fire back.
Castanon fired more shots at the car as he ran away, prosecutors said. Police found him in a nearby residential garage with gunshot wounds to his hand, arm and foot. Prosecutors said investigators never found the gun Castanon used to shoot the victims.
Police found bullet holes in the victim’s passenger door, hood and tire. However, neither the concealed carry holder nor his daughter were injured. The restaurant’s security cameras captured the entire incident.
On Monday, Castanon pleaded guilty before Judge Natosha Toller to two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm in the direction of an occupied vehicle. Prosecutors dropped seven other felony charges, including four attempted murder charges.
Castanon must serve 85% of his sentence before he is eligible for release. Details about the outcomes of his three ongoing juvenile cases are not available because those court records are protected from public scrutiny.
Original reporting you won’t see anywhere else, paid for by our readers. Click here to support our work.
