Daniel Aquirre of Aurora has been sentenced to 75 years in prison for the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Fernando Carapia in his driveway in January 2021.
In April 2023, a jury found Aguirre, 25, guilty of the offense of first-degree murder in the shooting. In addition, the jury found that Aguirre personally fired the gun that killed Carapia.
On January 15, 2021, shortly before 5 p.m., a car driven by a co-defendant stopped in the 300 block of South Hinman Street in Aurora. Aguirre exited the front passenger door, ran through a yard to the back of 311 South Spencer Street and fired multiple gunshots at Carapia, who was in the driveway. Aguirre returned to the vehicle and it fled the scene. Carapia was struck by multiple bullets and died at the scene.
Authorities believe the murder was gang motivated. Carapia was not a gang member and was not the intended target.
“Daniel Aguirre decided to murder a rival gang member and instead killed Fernando Carapia,” Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney Lori Anderson said. “Fernando had nothing to do with street gangs. I hope the words spoken by Fernando’s wife and brother-in-law during the sentencing hearing as they described the pain and anguish they feel from his absence made an impact on him.
“Fernando was a beloved husband and father, needlessly murdered before he was able to meet his second son. He was a victim of the senseless gang violence that continues to disrupt peaceful life in the city of Aurora. This 75-year sentence means Mr. Aguirre will spend the rest of his life in prison, so he’ll have a long time to think about his poor choices.”
The sentence is 50 years for the murder plus a mandatory 25-year enhancement because Aguirre personally fired the gun that killed Carapia. Aguirre receives credit for time served in the Kane County jail.
