A Round Lake Beach man pleaded not guilty on Thursday for his part in a triple shooting during a Zion home invasion in February which left a woman dead.
Zavian D. Wells, 25, of the 1900 block of North Cedar Lake Road in Round Lake Beach, pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, three counts of home invasion and two counts of aggravated battery with a firearm.
Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Cynthia Vargas said that Wells and another man, who has not been captured, entered an apartment in the 2800 block of Edina Boulevard in Zion armed with guns at 1:30 p.m. on February 16.
Wells and the other suspect fired multiple shots, striking three people, including 36-year-old Kaleah Beville, Vargas said. Beville was flown to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where she later died from her injuries.
The two other victims, a 24-year-old man and his 43-year-old mother, were transported to the hospital.
Vargas said that Wells and the other suspect saw a video posted on social media of one of the victims showing off money he had won from a personal injury lawsuit. The Lake County Major Crimes Task Force used video surveillance to track down the vehicle the two suspects fled in, and Wells was charged on March 20.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on May 10 and is also scheduled for a trial on July 30. Wells is currently being held on a $3 million bond in the Lake County Jail.