Crime & Safety
Felon Gets 7 Years For Firing Gun Near Wrigley Field After Cubs' 2015 Playoff Win
Hoytuan Pierce pleaded guilty last year to charges stemming from his gun accidentally discharging during a fight with 3 men.
CHICAGO, IL — A convicted felon who pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from firing a gun near Wrigley Field was sentenced Wednesday to seven years in prison, according to the US attorney's office. Hoytuan Pierce, 33, fired the weapon after the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4 of the 2015 National League Division Series.
According to prosecutors, Pierce was fighting with several people Oct. 13, 2015, in the 3400 block of North Clark Street when he opened fire. Although the area was crowded with fans, no one was hurt by the gunfire, federal prosecutors said. Last year, Pierce pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm by a felon, and is prohibited from possessing a gun because of a previous felony conviction.
“Gun-related deaths and injuries have taken an immeasurable toll on the citizens of the Northern District of Illinois over the past couple of years,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Cornelius Vandenberg wrote in the sentencing memo. “[Pierce's] actions on October 13, 2015, showed a blatant disregard for the safety of those around him.” (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Lake View and Chicago — or other neighborhoods. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)
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RELATED: Man Who Fired Gun After Cubs' Playoff Win Could Get 10 Years In Prison
Pierce had brought the gun from home and was celebrating the Cubs' win near the ballpark when he got into an argument with three men he believed to be members of the Spanish Cobras gang, according to the Chicago Tribune. He drew his weapon in hopes that the men would back down, but they began tussling with Pierce, and the gun accidentally discharged, the report added.
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Pierce had a record of past convictions that included robbery, aggravated battery to a government employee and felony possession or use of a firearm, the Tribune reports. At the time of shooting, he had been released on parole in June of that year following a conviction for driving on a revoked or suspended license after a second DUI.
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