A Wisconsin man has been cleared and charges have been dismissed after he was wrongly suspected of being the gunman who opened fire on roadside assistance workers in Gurnee.
The incident happened around 3 p.m. on December 17 near Olive Garden, 5590 Northridge Drive in Gurnee.
Gurnee Police Department Public Information Officer Shawn Gaylor told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that a man had called for roadside assistance after getting a flat tire.
Gaylor said the workers were unable to repair the vehicle. An argument ensued between the workers and the man.
The male suspect fired two rounds from a handgun at the workers.
He quickly fled the scene in a friend’s vehicle, Gaylor said.
The fleeing vehicle was described as a newer model blue Jaguar SUV, which was driven by a woman.
There were no reported injuries and Gaylor called it “an isolated incident.”
The vehicle with the flat tire was left behind at the scene and was seized for evidence.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office four days later approved charges against a 41-year-old man from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who Lake and McHenry County Scanner is not naming.
The man was charged with two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and felon in possession of a firearm.
A Lake County judge signed an arrest warrant for the 41-year-old man.
U.S. Marshals in Wisconsin later publicly listed him as one of their “most wanted.”
The man surrendered on the warrant to the Gurnee Police Department.
He was interviewed by detectives and proved he was not the shooter, police officials said.
Court records show prosecutors dismissed all charges against him on Monday.
The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information about the incident or the people involved is asked to contact the Gurnee Police Department at 847-599-7000.
Those who wish to remain anonymous can call the Lake County Crime Stoppers at 847-662-222 or on their website at lakecountycrimestoppers.com.