A Rockford man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in a June 2022 shooting in the city.
Mario J. Perkins, 36, was sentenced in the Illinois Department of Corrections for aggravated discharge of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm by a repeat felony offender. He must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence, followed by three years of mandatory supervised release. Perkins pleaded guilty to both charges in June 2025.
On June 8, 2022, Rockford Police responded to a report of gunfire in the 1600 block of Chestnut Street. Officers found multiple shell casings in the street and determined that two homes had been shot. Investigators said at least 31 shots were fired, and multiple people were inside the homes at the time.
Witnesses reported seeing a red Chrysler drive into the area before the shooting began. Police tracked the vehicle to the 4200 block of Beach Street, where Perkins was found in the backseat. Multiple firearms and spent shell casings were discovered in the car. Perkins was arrested at the scene.
Perkins has prior convictions for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in 2011 and 2013, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon in 2017.
