A habitual criminal was convicted in Lake County Court Wednesday for engaging in a shootout in Waukegan in 2022.
Carnell Wesson, 31, was convicted on one Class X felony count of Armed Habitual Criminal and one Class 2 felony count of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon stemming from the incident on December 12, 2022.
Wesson is now facing 6 years to 30 in prison on the Armed Habitual Criminal charge, while the Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon charge carries a prison sentence of 4 to 7 years.
Law enforcement officers testified during the three-day trial that they responded to a report of shots fired in an apartment complex parking lot in March 2022. They collected numerous pieces of evidence from the site, including 13 spent shell casings and surveillance video that captured the entire incident.
Through surveillance footage, officers observed a silver car entering the parking lot before a man identified as Wesson approached.
The video showed Wesson and an individual inside the silver car interacting with each other before Wesson jumped back, raised his arms, and fired a gun.
Forensic testimony presented at trial showed Wesson fired 12 of the 13 spent casings recovered by police.
Wesson ran to a nearby SUV after the shooting and fled the scene.
Wesson was out on bond at the time of this offense after being charged with multiple firearm offenses, including Armed Habitual Criminal, in March 2022 and posting $15,000 cash, a spokesperson from the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office said. This was before the effective date of bail reform which now prevents individuals charged with firearm offenses from posting bond if a judge so decides at the beginning of the case
Wesson was taken into custody by Waukegan Police in February 2023. The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a motion to deny bail under the prior version of the law, but Wesson received a $1.25 million bond instead.
A judge revoked Wesson’s ability to post bail after he was convicted at a separate trial in February 2023.
“Our Violent Crime Unit has now secured two successful trial verdicts against this offender,” said Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart.”Once again, we see that the cash system was not keeping our communities safe. Now, individuals charged with this offense are facing detention petitions from our office; and if the judge grants the petition, the offender is held – without being able to use cash.”
Wesson is due back in court on November 18 for a status hearing prior to his sentencing hearing.
This is the second time in two years Wesson was found guilty of being an armed habitual criminal and possessing guns in Lake County.
Wesson was charged in March 2022 with armed habitual criminal, three counts of felon in possession of a firearm, and four counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon after Zion Police officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in March 2022 and found Wesson in possession of two firearms.
In the previous trial, Wesson was found guilty of one count of armed habitual criminal and one count of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.
He has been held in Lake County jail since the previous guilty verdict.