Peoria man sentenced for shooting employee at West Peoria bar
A Peoria man pled guilty Tuesday to aggravated battery charges in relation to a shooting at a West Peoria bar in September 2023 that injured an employee.
Anthony T. Gates, 43, reached a plea agreement in which he was also sentenced to 10 years in prison in a shooting on Sept. 9, 2023, at Mike's Tavern in the 600 block of North Cedar Avenue. Gates will serve 85% of the sentence, pursuant to state statute.
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According to the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office, Gates was accused of firing a .22 caliber Derringer into the bar three times shortly after midnight on the night of the incident, with one of the bullets grazing an employee, causing minor injuries. Gates was reportedly drunk and making other customers at the bar uncomfortable in the moments leading up to the shooting, enough to where the employee in question ended up removing him from their outdoor patio and asking him to leave.
When Peoria County sheriff's deputies arrived on scene, the wounded employee provided them with a description of Gates, who was found only a few blocks away. Gates was arrested and taken into custody, with the weapon used being found in a storm drain across the street.
The plea deal represents the first felony conviction for Gates, who had been charged with battery and mob action for a 2022 incident. That particular case was later dismissed shortly after his arrest for the shooting at Mike's Tavern.
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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria man sentenced for bar shooting in West Peoria
