Anthony Lilliston, 31, knows he’s lucky to be alive.
Lilliston nearly died of a gunshot wound last Jan. 5 when he was shot while sitting in a car at 55th Street and Woodland Avenue about 11:15 p.m.He testified this week that another car had pulled up and that gunmen had opened fire with a volley of shots that shattered his vehicle’s window.
Police say about 15 shots were fired at the car.
Lilliston, of Ripka Street, testified that Kareem Muhammed, 23, of Wilton Street, and Aguil Burgess, 23, of Dewey Street, were two of the shooters.
Lilliston said he and Burgess had argued over a woman a few days before.
But after defense lawyers Fortunato N. Perri Jr. and Ronald Sharper got through cross-examining Lilliston, they insisted that there was more than a reasonable doubt about their clients’ guilt.
Common Pleas Judge Willis W. Berry Jr. agreed and acquitted the men of attempted murder, aggravated assault and conspiracy. Both faced more than 40 years in jail if convicted.
Perri said Lilliston had given police too many versions of the incident.
After he was taken to a hospital in critical condition, Lilliston told cops he suffered his injury in the crossfire of two unknown shooters, Perri said.
Lilliston then changed that story, too, claiming Muhammed and Burgess were in the other car, but he wasn’t sure who did the shooting.
Then, said Perri, he said both had been shooters.
Lilliston then testified against the two at a preliminary hearing.
During the trial, the defense called a man who was in Lilliston’s car when the shooting began. The man said he couldn’t see who was firing the shots.