A man from DeKalb was recently sentenced to 20 years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to shooting and killing a man in Montgomery in December 2022, officials announced Wednesday.
Brian Bell Jr., 18, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Ashton Laatz of Oswego, according to a news release from the Kendall County State’s Attorney Office. Officials said in the release that Bell was apparently trying to rob Laatz over an alleged drug deal when he pulled out a gun, and after a struggle, shot Laatz in the leg.
That wound eventually lead to Laatz’s death, the release said.
Officials said Bell was riding in the front passenger seat of a vehicle being driven by Laatz in December 2022, when Laatz stopped the vehicle in the area of Circle Drive East in Montgomery and picked up two juveniles. Bell then pulled out a gun in an apparent attempt to rob Laatz, the release said.
Bell and Laatz struggled in the front seat of the vehicle, and the gun went off, striking Laatz in the thigh, according to the release. Officials said Bell and the others then fled from the vehicle as Laatz attempted to drive away.
One of the juveniles involved then fired a different handgun at the fleeing vehicle, according to the release.
Laatz drove only a couple of blocks before crashing, the release said. He was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to the single gunshot wound, officials said.
Kendall County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded after the gunshots and saw a suspicious person in the area, so deputies chased the person on foot to a house on Seneca Drive in Montgomery, according to the release. Officials said deputies found the two juveniles who had fled from the area inside the house along with a handgun.
Bell managed to jump out the back window of the house and fled from deputies, officials said. The handgun Bell used was located underneath a shed in the backyard, the release said.
Both guns were sent to the Illinois State Police Laboratory and were confirmed to be the handguns used during the incident, according to the release. Officials said a warrant was issued for Bell’s arrest, and he was apprehended.
Bell has remained in custody since he was arrested, according to the release.
Officials said in the release that Bell was sentenced in front of a crowded courtroom of Laatz’s supporters.
Bell was sentenced under different provisions than most adults in murder cases because of his age and changes in the law, the release said. He will be required to serve his entire sentence, then will be on three years of mandatory supervised release and will have to register as a violent offender against youth, officials said in the release.
