A Burlington man has pleaded guilty to killing one man and injuring another in a November 2024 shooting. 19-year-old Shermando Harper pleaded guilty September 9 to second-degree murder and attempted murder in the shooting death of 28-year-old Alondro Lee Pratt of Racine, Wisconsin, and the shooting of Burlington resident Richard Jackson.
Police were called to the 500 block of South Seventh Street shortly after 10 p.m. November 24, 2024. Officers found Pratt and Jackson suffering from gunshot wounds. Pratt died at the scene, while Jackson was taken to a Burlington hospital and later transferred to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Investigators say Harper fired multiple shots after an argument involving family members. Harper was arrested in Chicago in December 2024.
Harper originally faced first-degree murder and attempted murder charges and was scheduled to go to trial September 29. Under a plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a 50-year sentence for second-degree murder and 25 years for attempted murder.