CHICAGO — A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after firing a rifle at a home in North Lawndale while an off-duty Chicago police officer looked on — just two weeks after the suspect was released from jail on a separate gun charge.
Jawaun Stamps, who prosecutors say was listed among the Chicago Police Department’s “Top 10” most dangerous individuals in the Ogden District, pleaded guilty to aggravated discharge of a firearm toward an occupied vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to CWB Chicago.
Gunfire on West Douglas Boulevard
The shooting occurred on the afternoon of June 4, 2022, in the 3600 block of West Douglas Boulevard. A Chicago police detective, driving to work, noticed a silver Dodge Charger idling in a traffic lane. Suddenly, Stamps reportedly exited the vehicle with a rifle, crouched behind another parked car, and began firing at a nearby home.
A 38-year-old man sitting on a porch was struck by gunfire. Stamps allegedly paused, ducked behind the vehicle, then resumed firing as someone pulled the injured man indoors.
The off-duty officer immediately called 911 and watched as Stamps tossed the rifle into the Charger and reentered the car. The vehicle, which had been carjacked at gunpoint, sped off — with the detective in pursuit.
The chase ended when the Charger crashed into a brick wall, and while the driver fled, Stamps was arrested after attempting to escape by jumping a fence. Officers found the rifle nearby.
Links to Previous Gun Offense
Prosecutors said police collected 23 shell casings at the scene, all fired from the recovered rifle. Another 40 casings were found inside the vehicle, indicating the driver may have also fired at the house.
What shocked investigators further was the fact that Stamps had posted a $3,000 bond just 15 days earlier to walk free from Cook County Jail. That earlier case stemmed from a May 20, 2022 incident, when officers near South Ridgeway Avenue heard gunfire and arrested Stamps fleeing the scene in a carjacked Mercedes. A multi-caliber rifle was found on the passenger-side floorboard.
At that location, police discovered a 31-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite the circumstances, Stamps was not charged with the shooting or the carjacking, only with unlawful use of a weapon and criminal trespass.
CPD Labeled Him High-Risk Offender
Court documents and CPD intelligence reports show that Stamps had 12 gang-related tattoos and was listed in a 2022 CPD report as one of the department’s most dangerous known gang members in the North Lawndale area. The report linked him to two other shootings in a three-week span.
However, his attorneys denied gang affiliations and pointed out that his only prior conviction as an adult was for misdemeanor firearm possession.
Judge Kenneth Wadas sentenced Stamps to 13 years for the firearm discharge and a consecutive 1-year sentence for unlawful possession, for a total of 14 years.
Expected Release Timeline
Under Illinois law, Stamps will need to serve at least 85% of the 13-year sentence and 50% of the gun possession term. According to officials with the Illinois Department of Corrections, he is expected to be paroled on December 9, 2033.
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