Rochester man sentenced to 32 years in prison for drive-by shooting that injured 8 in downtown La Crosse – Post Bulletin

LA CROSSE, Wis. — A 33-year-old Rochester man will spend the next three decades in prison after being convicted in a drive-by shooting.

On Monday, La Crosse County District Court Judge Ramona Gonzalez sentenced Deandre S. Grant to 32 years in prison. Grant was convicted of firing multiple shots from a moving car in downtown La Crosse on June 17, 2023, injuring eight people.

La Crosse County Assistant District Attorney Nick Pass asked for a prison sentence. According to him, the community was greatly affected by the shooting.

“A lot of people are concerned about safety in society, and that’s not surprising,” Passe said. “To my knowledge, this is the first and only mass shooting in La Crosse.”

Passe said he saw no evidence that Grant had changed since the shooting.

“I don’t know if there’s a date when we can say he’s grown as a person,” Passe said.

Defense attorney Claire Shum asked for a 10-year sentence. She said the court was required to consider Grant’s “adverse childhood experiences,” including extreme poverty and drug abuse by his parents.

She said Grant took responsibility for the crime.

“He doesn’t place the blame for the shooting on anyone but himself,” Shum said.

Grant was driving the wrong way down a one-way street when he fired into a group of people gathered outside the La Crosse restaurant on Third Street, prosecutors said. Eight people were injured – seven from gunshots and one from glass fragments.

Prosecutors say Grant got into an argument with a group of people earlier in the evening before firing the shots. Six of the eight victims were not involved in the initial confrontation.

Six victims submitted statements about the consequences. One of the victims, who gave only her initials, addressed the court in person. She asked that Grant be sentenced to life in prison. She described how “my life flashed before me” when the shots rang out.

“Deandrew Grant has shown a complete disregard for human life, including my own,” she said.

The victim received a deep gunshot wound to the leg and was in the hospital for three days. She told the court she lost $2,000 in wages and is responsible for her medical bills.

Grant apologized to the victims and addressed the victim, who testified.

“It wasn’t easy for her to stand up and say what she said, but she’s right,” Grant said.

Grant was originally charged with 29 felonies, including six counts of attempted first-degree murder and 15 counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety. In September, he pleaded guilty to four counts:

Manslaughter in the first degree, 22 and a half years
A significant charge/use of a dangerous weapon 3 1/2 years
Reckless endangerment in the first degree/use of a dangerous weapon 6 1/2 years
Felon in possession of a firearm, one year

The sentences for the first three offenses will be served consecutively. The gun sentence will run concurrently with the other three.

Grant faces a maximum of 60 years in prison for attempted murder. He will be credited with 502 days of his sentence for time served in the La Crosse County Jail.

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