Cook County prosecutors say 30-year-old Cortez Powell was sentenced this week by Judge Thomas Hennelley. Powell was convicted of the murder of 16-year-old Damier Love in April 2009.
Officers say Love and the other two victims were standing on West Chicago at Lorel in the Austin neighborhood when Powell and and Brian Ward fired on them. Love was struck in the chest and neck. The two older men - one in his 40s, the other in his 50s - survived.
Powell was charged along with a co-defendant who is awaiting trial.
Investigators believe Love was the target of the shooter. Love was a student at John Marshall High School. He was the 34th Chicago Public Schools student to be killed because of violence that school year.
Ward approached Love and shot him several times, according to the state's attorney's office, while Powell also fired a gun. Powell had previously been convicted twice on drug charges, according to state records. Ward is still awaiting trial and is scheduled to be back in court June 26.
The Associated Press and Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
