One sent to prison after a man was shot in the face during a Macon drive-by shooting

A Macon man was sentenced Friday to eight years in prison for a drive-by shooting in which another man was shot in the face in 2016.

Vashawn Demontez Berry, 22, was sentenced in Bibb County Superior Court after pleading guilty to aggravated assault and violation of the Georgia Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, according to a news release from the District Attorney’s Office of the Macon Judicial Circuit.

Berry also was sentenced to 12 years probation.

Kevin Dennard, 28, was walking with friends near the intersection of Villa Crest and Houston avenues at about 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 15, 2016. Berry and another man in the car with him were both indicted for firing shots. Dennard, who was not the intended target, was found lying in the middle of Villa Crest Avenue.

Myleek Amir Earley, the other man indicted, is pending trial. The indictment against Berry and Earley alleged both were associated with the Crips street gang at the time of the shooting.

“Mr. Berry put everyone at risk when he fired his gun out the car window,” District Attorney David Cooke said in the news release. “Bullets don’t always limit their damage to the intended victims.

“Sometimes they strike indiscriminately and cause incalculable damage for innocent families who want nothing but peace. I hope this young man reconsiders his life and makes better choices when he’s released.”

This story was originally published September 14, 2018 at 11:49 AM.