McLean County Judge Jason Chambers sentenced Tomiyale Anderson, 23, of Hampton, Georgia to life in prison on Tuesday after a 2022 shooting at a Bloomington house party.
Anderson, 20, at the time of the crime, was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder. As well as attempted first-degree murder and aggravated discharge of a weapon in August following the killing of 17-year-old Kanye Stowers. The crime took place at a birthday party in the 400 block of East Mill Street in Bloomington on April 8, 2022.
Stowers was just one month away from graduating high school when authorities pronounced him dead at the scene. An autopsy report indicated he died of a gunshot wound.
The McLean County State’s Attorney said a sweep of the crime scene revealed two 9mm bullet casings. Illinois State Police determined both were fired from the same weapon.
Anderson was also seen on camera firing the two shots outside of the residence. Afterward he can be seen discarding the weapon and running away from the crime scene. Detectives determined the incident occurred over a weapon the assailant wanted from Stowers. The weapon was later shown to be a BB gun meant to appear as a real Glock.
Stowers completed a two-year sentence at Lawrence Correctional Center for an unrelated battery while he was detained in McLean County jail on the murder charges.
He is required to serve the entirety of the life sentence.
