A Zion man has been charged with first-degree murder after prosecutors say he fatally shot a 22-year-old Gurnee man following a funeral service at a Waukegan funeral home.
The Waukegan Fire Department and Waukegan Police Department responded around 6:45 p.m. on February 25 to The Memorial Chapel Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 1521 Washington Street, for a shooting.
Two ambulances were dispatched to the scene following reports of shots fired and people shot.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Emily Shanley-Roberts said police were already in the area so they arrived very quickly.
Officers learned that two males had been shot after there was a large fight and shooting in the parking lot.
Everyone involved were extended family members and they had just attended a funeral of a family member, Shanley-Roberts said.
The video showed Juan M. Garcia, 28, of Zion, exiting the funeral home and walking to his car.
He got into the driver’s seat and 10 minutes later his brother, Julio Garcia, 31, of Waukegan, and their uncle left the funeral home with an unidentified third man.
Shanley-Roberts said the three walked in the direction of Juan Garcia’s car and three other men, including Jorge Rogel, 22, of Gurnee, left the funeral home and ran after the first group.
Juan Garcia began driving his car in the parking lot and drove toward his brother and uncle.
Julio Garcia and the uncle approached the car and the second group ran up to them, Shanley-Roberts said.
The group began physically fighting and Juan Garcia exited the driver’s seat of his car and pulled out a gun, Shanley-Roberts said.
Shanley-Roberts said Juan Garcia pointed the gun at the group fighting and they ran off.
Rogel was among those who ran away and Juan Garcia fired two shots from the front of his car before running to the rear of his car and shooting again, Shanley-Roberts said.
The three shots were fired in Rogel’s direction as the man was running away. Rogel was shot in the head and transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
Rogel died at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville the following day from the gunshot wound to his head, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.
The video footage showed a total of four gunmen firing shots during the incident, Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen McConnell said.
McConnell said Julio Garcia shot a firearm several times. A witness brought the gun to the police and reported that another person involved in the shooting had given it to Julio Garcia.
Juan Garcia told investigators during an interview that his brother, Julio Garcia, shot a gun in self-defense due to the fight but Juan Garcia did not make any mention about firing a gun himself, Shanley-Roberts said.
Julio Garcia, who has a Firearm Owner’s Identification card but no concealed carry license, was taken into custody after voluntarily going to the Waukegan Police Department following the incident.
Julio Garcia was charged with aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, a Class 4 felony.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted a petition to detain him pending trial after prosecutors argued he posed a danger to the community.
Court records show Juan Garcia was charged on Tuesday with three counts of first-degree murder and an arrest warrant was issued by a judge.
He was taken into custody of the Lake County Jail late Tuesday evening.
Juan Garcia appeared for a First Appearance Court hearing on Wednesday morning.
Prosecutors filed a petition to detain him pending trial and the matter was set for a detention hearing for Thursday afternoon.
It is unclear whether any additional suspects will be charged in the case.