A judge denied prosecutors’ request to hold a Zion man without bond after he was charged in connection with a shootout that left himself and a second man wounded in Waukegan.
Carnell D. Wesson, 30, of Zion, was charged with armed habitual criminal and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm.
The charges stem from a shooting near Cornelia Avenue and Drew Lane in Waukegan around 7:30 p.m. on December 12.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Jeffery Facklam said Wesson was identified by witnesses as being at the scene.
Wesson reportedly got into an argument with another man just prior to the gunshots being heard.
Shell casings were located at the scene and the two men suffered gunshot wounds.
The incident was captured on surveillance camera and a person wearing clothes matching Wesson’s clothing was seen firing a gun, Facklam said.
Facklam said it is unclear who fired their gun first, Wesson or the other man, but witnesses described Wesson as being the one that was upset and arguing with the man just prior to the shooting.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to deny bail to Wesson, court records show.
Wesson was out on bond at the time of the offense after being charged with armed habitual criminal, felon in possession of a weapon and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in March 2022 in Zion.
Wesson had posted 10% of a $150,000 bond in that case.
“The defendant should be denied bail as he poses a real and present threat to the physical safety of others as he poses a threat to injure or physically harm other individuals if admitted to bail,” Facklam said in the petition.
“No conditions or combinations of conditions can reasonably ensure the safety of the community. The defendant committed this new offense after posting $15,000 cash on an earlier offense involving a firearm and had been ordered to comply with pre-trial bond services as a condition of his bond, which included a curfew at their discretion. Despite these conditions, it is alleged that the defendant committed a new class X offense involving gun violence,” Facklam said.
Wesson has prior felony convictions for robbery and aggravated fleeing and eluding.
Attorney Robert T. Ritacca, who is representing Wesson, said in court his client suffered serious injuries in the Waukegan shooting and was in the intensive care unit. He was hospitalized for approximately a month.
Ritacca argued there was no handgun found on Wesson or at the scene and that Wesson was the victim in the shooting.
Lake County Judge Charles Johnson denied prosecutors’ request to hold Wesson without bond.
Johnson set bond at $1.25 million, meaning Wesson would need to post $125,000 cash in order to be released.
Wesson faces 12-60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections if convicted of both armed habitual criminal cases. Those charges are Class X felonies.
He remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on March 2.