Prosecutors say a gunman shot two men in the head, killing one, at Poppy’s restaurant in Waukegan on Sunday as revenge for a prior shooting. The gunman has been ordered held without bond.
Jorge Medina, 18, of Waukegan, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm.
A second man, Fernando Andino, 19, of Waukegan, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated fleeing and eluding.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Dino Katris said during a bond hearing Wednesday that the Waukegan Police Department responded around 4:51 p.m. Sunday to Poppy’s, 1535 Washington Street in Waukegan, for a report of a person shot.
Officers found two men with gunshot wounds to their heads on the sidewalk near the parking lot of the business off of Washington Park.
The business was open at the time and customers were present.
Stefan Filipovic, 24, of Waukegan, died in the shooting while a second victim, a 28-year-old Waukegan man, was rushed to the hospital and is expected to survive.
Investigators obtained surveillance videos that captured the shooting.
Katris said the video showed a male wearing a black hoodie, gray sweatpants and a black face mask walking northbound on Washington Park towards Washington Street.
Filipovic and the second victim were both standing on the sidewalk area speaking with a witness in a car that was parked on Washington Park on the side of the business.
The shooter, determined to be Medina, approached the victims and took a shooting stance in the parking lot of Poppy’s.
Medina, who was about 10 feet away from the victims, fired multiple shots at the two victims, Katris said.
Filipovic and the second victim immediately dropped to the ground after both being shot in the head.
Several 9mm shell casings were recovered from the parking lot.
In the moments before the shooting, surveillance video showed the shooter exiting the front passenger seat of a vehicle approximately one block away from the shooting and walking in the direction of the victims, Katris said.
The vehicle drove northbound on Washington Park and stopped at the intersection of Washington Park and Washington Street.
The vehicle, a BMW 325 that was registered to Andino, drove around the block and picked up the shooter, who had turned around and ran south on Washington Park.
Officers spotted the BMW around 7:30 p.m. Sunday and attempted to conduct a traffic stop on it.
The vehicle did not stop and officers pursued it for several minutes.
The BMW disregarded multiple red lights and stop signs and drove at speeds of over 100 mph, Katris said.
The BMW’s tire blew out at one point and the vehicle came to a stop at Sheridan Road and Franklin Street.
Andino, who was the driver and sole occupant, was taken into custody.
Investigators searched his phone and recovered text messages regarding the shooting, Katris said.
Katris said that Andino told investigators that he saw Filipovic at Poppy’s and believed Filipovic was involved in the unsolved shooting case of his friend from last year.
Andino texted his friend asking about Filipovic and then texted that he was going to get Medina.
Andino claimed to be scared because he did not have a gun so he went to pick up Medina at his house, Katris said.
Surveillance video showed a man being picked up at Medina’s residence minutes before the shooting.
Video was used to track the vehicle and its two occupants from Medina’s residence to the block where the shooter was dropped.
Andino said that while in the car, Medina changed into a black hoodie and gray sweatpants and was armed with a gun, Katris said during the bond hearing.
Andino told investigators he dropped Medina at a street corner a block from the shooting and stopped his car at the intersection of Washington Park and Washington Street, next to Poppy’s.
Katris said that Andino heard and saw the shooting and then drove around to pick up Medina. Medina got into the vehicle and told Andino he “dropped both of them.”
Katris said that Andino texted his friend again, this time saying he saw the dude “get hit” and “seen them drop.” Andino then dropped Medina off at his house.
Waukegan Police Chief Keith Zupec and Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Joe Florip both said that the department’s investigations divisions have been working non-stop on the case since Sunday and have done a great job.
Officers arrested Medina Monday morning.
The two men appeared in bond court in front of Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak Wednesday morning.
Potkonjak ordered Medina held without bond while Andino was ordered held on a $3 million bond.
“The Waukegan Police Department and our Violent Crimes Unit did a fantastic job in obtaining and analyzing the evidence. We will continue to devote extensive resources to gun violence, work aggressively with our law enforcement partners, and support the victim’s families,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said.
The investigation into the shooting continues, authorities said.
Anyone with information should contact the Waukegan Police Department or leave an anonymous tip with Lake County Crime Stoppers at 847-662-2222 or by visiting www.lakecountycrimestoppers.com.