VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A man charged with multiple felonies following a 2022 shooting at Willow Crossings Apartment Complex that left three people injured by gunfire has been sentenced to house-arrest and probation after pleading guilty in Vigo County.
John L. Bell appeared in Vigo County Superior Court 1 on Wednesday, Dec. 20, where he was sentenced after changing his plea to guilty as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
Court records show that Bell had been sentenced in September of 2021 in relation to a charge of domestic battery and criminal confinement. That sentence called for a total of five years of house arrest.
The shooting incident occurred in August of 2022, where Bell was accused of shooting three of his neighbors who lives across the hallway of his Willow Crossings residence on Sweetwater Court. Bell was later arrested by U.S. Marshals in Chicago after fleeing the scene the night of the incident.
In a sentencing order and judgement of conviction, Judge Charles D. Johnson accepted Bell’s guilty plea to the singular charge of aggravated battery, as well as violating the rules of his previous sentence.
Judge Johnson then revoked the balance of Bell’s five year executed sentence and ordered Bell to serve the remaining 815 days through In-Home-Detention supervised by Vigo County Community Corrections. As part of the plea agreement in the shooting case, Bell was “sentenced to the Indiana Department of Correction for a term of imprisonment of thirteen (13) years and two hundred forty-eight (248) days. One year and 248 days of said sentence shall be executed at the Indiana Department of correction. The twelve year balance of said sentence shall be suspended and served on formal probation.”
Following credit for time served, Judge Johnson determined that the executed portion of the sentence had been fully served. “The remaining balance is twelve years on formal probation to be served upon the completion of defendant’s sentence in 84D01-2102-F3-00520.”
While under house-arrest and probation Bell was ordered to abstain from alcohol and controlled substances. He was also ordered to attend anger management classes. Judge Johnson issued a $1 fine in addition to court costs and public defender fees.
As part of the plea deal the charges of attempted murder (x2), aggravated battery with substantial risk of death (x2), criminal recklessness, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon were dismissed with prejudice.
