School officials say at least one of three teens who were shot in Carpentersville and found seeking help in Algonquin is a Barrington High School student and staff are providing support to the family.
Carpentersville Deputy Police Chief Kevin Stankowitz said four people were sitting in a car parked in a driveway in the 1200 block of Navajo Drive in Carpentersville on Wednesday evening.
The occupants included a 17-year-old boy, an 18-year-old man and two 19-year-old men.
They were approached by two suspects, later identified as Rafael Ruiz, Jr., 21, of Aurora, and a 17-year-old Carpentersville boy.
A “confrontation” ensued and three of the four people in the car were shot by the suspects, Stankowitz said.
Ruiz and the juvenile suspect immediately fled the scene and the victims’ vehicle also left the scene.
Stankowitz said the driver of the victim vehicle attempted to travel to a local hospital while someone inside called 911.
Carpentersville police officers located the car just north of the intersection of Randall Road and Broadsmore Drive in Algonquin around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Officers began administering lifesaving measures to the three victims.
“Their swift actions ensured that all three victims were promptly transported to area hospitals,” Stankowitz said.
The Carpentersville Fire Department arrived and requested three ambulances to respond.
Two of the three victims were each shot once while a third victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Two of the victims have since been released from the hospital and the third remained hospitalized as of Friday, Stankowitz said.
Police officials said Saturday they did not have an update on the condition of the victim.
Barrington 220 Community Unit School District Superintendent Craig Winkelman and Barrington High School Principal Steve McWilliams said the last remaining victim in the hospital is a current Barrington High School student.
The school officials said they did not know whether the other two were also Barrington High School students or not.
The shooting occurred in the Sunny Hill Elementary School neighborhood.
“Our staff has been in contact with the family, and the student is receiving medical care and is in stable condition at this time,” Winkelman and McWilliams said.
“We will continue to provide support and assistance to the student and their family during this difficult time,” they added.
The Algonquin Police Department said Randall Road was shut down in both directions between Longmeadow Parkway and Broadsmore Drive due to the incident.
Police asked motorists to avoid Randall Road and Broadsmore Drive as well as Randall Road and Longmeadow Parkway.
Carpentersville police detectives were actively investigating the case and following up on several leads.
“Based on the information gathered so far, this appears to be an isolated incident, and there is no ongoing threat to the public,” Stankowitz said.
The Carpentersville Police Department said they commend the responding officers, dispatchers and medical personnel whose “quick response and professionalism” helped save lives.
“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families affected by last night’s senseless act of violence. We stand united in our commitment to seek justice,” the police department said.
Both directions of Randall Road were reopened around 1:30 a.m. with one northbound lane remaining closed until around 4:30 a.m.
Detectives executed a search warrant at a residence in the 1500 block of Pawnee Road in Carpentersville on Friday.
Both suspects, Ruiz and the juvenile, were taken into custody during the operation.
Ruiz was found to have five outstanding warrants at the time. He was charged in the shooting with one count of attempted murder, three counts of aggravated battery with a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by a street gang member.
The juvenile suspect was charged with one count of attempted murder, three counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, one count of possession of a firearm by a street gang member and one count of obstructing justice.
“The swift execution of this search warrant and the arrests underscore the outstanding efforts of our investigators and the strong collaboration with the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office. The Carpentersville Police Department remains dedicated to ensuring the safety of our community and holding offenders accountable for acts of violence,” Stankowitz said.
The investigation remains ongoing and both suspects remain held in custody.