A 35-year-old West Chicago man is in police custody after threatening motorists with a loaded handgun on a West Chicago street Friday evening.
The suspect has been charged with one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Repeat Felony Offender (Class X Felony), one count of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon (Class 2 Felony), one count of Aggravated Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (Class 2 Felony), and multiple Misdemeanor counts, including two counts of Aggravated Assault.
On Friday at around 8:40 p.m., West Chicago Police officers on active patrol responded to a report of a man with a gun on Arbor Street.
Following an investigation into the call, it is claimed that the witnesses were driving down Arbor Street when the suspect jumped into the road from a grassy area, approached their vehicle, and pointed a gun at them. The victims fled the scene and called the police.
Responding officers saw an individual who matched the defendant’s description in the parking lot of a liquor store on Arbor Street and Washington Street. Officers stopped to speak with the suspect and searched him, but found no weapon.
After learning that the suspect had entered the liquor store, officers searched the premises and discovered a loaded handgun with twenty rounds in the magazine hidden behind some bottles on a shelf. The suspect allegedly entered the liquor store, concealed the gun behind the bottles toward the back of the shelf, and then exited the store, where he was apprehended by officers.
Further investigation revealed that the weapon was reported stolen from Chicago on June 11, 2025.
“It is alleged that [the suspect], a man currently on parole with multiple felony convictions, was illegally in possession of a loaded handgun,” Berlin told reporters.
“The thought of someone with a violent background, like [his], allegedly in public with a loaded handgun is extremely disturbing.
As a convicted felon, [the suspect] has forfeited his right to possess a firearm. Because of his alleged actions, [the suspect] now faces a potential sentence of six to thirty years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.”
The suspect’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 28, 2025, before Judge Margaret O’Connell.
