A suspect is in custody after authorities say he entered a store while brandishing a gun, walked out of the store and began shooting unprovoked in a heavily populated area in Waukegan Wednesday morning.
The Waukegan Police Department responded around 10:52 a.m. Wednesday to Panaderia La Azteca, 814 10th Street, for a report of a man with a gun.
Employees called 911 to report that a person came into the bakery armed with a gun and said he needed help.
Prosecutors said the suspect walked out of the store and the employee told 911 dispatchers that the man began shooting the gun.
A description of the suspect, a white male with a red hoodie, was provided.
Responding officers saw the suspect running westbound on 10th Street and he then entered Tortilleria y Supermercado Gonzalez, 821 10th Street in North Chicago, which is across the street, prosecutors said.
Officers surrounded the suspect and he dropped the gun before being taken into custody.
The Smith and Wesson SW95 gun was loaded with a round in the chamber, prosecutors said. The suspect had 2.7 grams of a substance that field-tested positive for cocaine.
A vehicle parked outside Panaderia La Azteca was found damaged by gunfire. The right rear passenger side window was broken.
The driver of the car approached officers and informed them he had been driving when he saw the suspect with his back to the bakery shooting toward the street, which was heavily populated at the time, prosecutors said.
The victim was interviewed by detectives and explained he was traveling eastbound on 10th Street, stopped in traffic, when he saw the suspect armed with a gun looking frantic outside.
The suspect crouched down by a van and shot in the direction of the victim as the driver attempted to speed away, prosecutors said.
The victim saw the suspect begin running westbound and heard another gunshot. The suspect admitted to officers that he shot at the vehicle.
Surveillance video was obtained of the incident and no injuries were reported. Charges are pending against the suspect.