Charges have been filed against a juvenile and an adult after police say the two possessed machine guns following a shooting that left a victim wounded in Antioch Wednesday.
The Antioch Police Department responded around 12:43 a.m. Wednesday to the area of Hillside Avenue and Harden Street for a report of shots fired after multiple residents called 911.
Responding officers arrived at the scene, which is near Routes 173 and 59, and did not locate anyone.
They discovered several spent shell casings and unspent rounds of ammunition in the intersection, village officials said.
A perimeter was set up in the area with the assistance of several police departments.
Investigators discovered a blood trail during their search and advised area hospitals to be on the lookout for anyone who may have been shot, village officials said.
Police were notified that a 23-year-old man had arrived at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with a gunshot wound to his elbow which required surgery.
Detectives learned that two large groups had met in the area of Hillside Avenue and Harden Street for a prearranged fight stemming from an outstanding dispute.
Village officials said the fight began and a larger altercation erupted, at which point several people pulled out guns and began firing at the opposing group.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said Deputy Alex Pasiewicz heard the call and went to assist Antioch police while other Lake County sheriff’s units responded to check the area for the suspects.
The North Chicago Police Department, Gurnee Police Department, Fox Lake Police Department and the Lake Villa Police Department also assisted.
The Antioch Police Department obtained information that a Kia may have been involved in the incident.
Lake County sheriff’s deputies cleared the call but around 1:53 a.m., Deputy Pasiewicz was in the area of Route 173 and Main Street and observed a Kia matching the suspect description, Covelli said.
A traffic stop was conducted at Route 83 and Chestnut Street in Antioch. There were four occupants in the car.
Covelli said Pasiewicz spoke to the juvenile driver outside the car and it was reported there was a gun in the glove compartment. The gun belonged to the front seat passenger.
All four subjects, who were involved in the shooting, were detained and turned over to the Antioch Police Department, Covelli said.
Antioch Police Chief Geoffrey Guttschow said he is grateful for the assistance of the other law enforcement agencies.
“The fast response and thorough investigation by the Antioch Police Department and our partner agencies led to the quick apprehension and charges against the individuals responsible for this incident,” Guttschow said.
“As crimes such as what happened in our community occur throughout the suburbs, leveraging the resources and knowledge of our investigative teams results in arrests and safer communities,” Guttschow said.
A total of four adult males and a juvenile were arrested following the investigation.
D’Angelo Conver, 20, of Zion, and the juvenile, who is a 17-year-old Antioch resident, were each charged on Thursday with unlawful possession of a machine gun, a Class X felony.
The juvenile was additionally charged with a second unlawful use of a weapon charge, a Class 2 felony.
Prosecutors said Conver, who was allegedly one of the shooters, was the front-seat passenger in the Kia that was stopped by deputies.
The Antioch Police Department and the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System Emergency Services Team (NIPAS EST) conducted a search warrant around 4 p.m. Wednesday at a home in the 400 block of Route 173.
Several firearms were recovered by detectives during the search warrant.
Among the guns recovered during the investigation were two ghost guns, both of which were equipped with illegal fully automatic conversion devices, village officials said.
A ghost gun is an illegal firearm that is made from either parts purchased separately or produced using 3D printing. They lack a serial number, making it difficult to trace.
“This was a targeted and isolated incident between two groups. With all involved suspects in custody, there is no additional risk to the community,” village officials said in a statement.
Conver appeared in First Appearance Court Thursday morning and prosecutors filed a petition to detain him pending trial.
He remains held in the Lake County Jail pending a detention hearing on Friday afternoon.
The juvenile arrested was transported to the Hulse Juvenile Detention Center in Vernon Hills.
Additional charges are possible against others involved. No one has been charged with actually firing the guns yet.
Ballistic and forensic analysis from the crime lab is pending, officials added.