A Wisconsin woman who hit two people with her car and tried to stab a third person during what police have labelled as “random acts of violence” told police on video that she intentionally drove to Gurnee Mills to murder someone and that she would do it again if authorities released her from custody.
Katelyn A. Harmon, 25, of Waukesha, Wisc., was ordered detained pending trial Tuesday on multiple counts of attempted murder and aggravated battery in what police called “random acts of violence” in the Gurnee Mills parking lot.
The detention came after the woman recorded herself bragging about escaping Gurnee police, hitting and injuring two people with her car at a Gurnee Mills, and attacking a random man with a knife.
Harmon has been formally charged by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving personal injury, three counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and two counts of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm.
Authorities said Harmon was driving around searching for a victim at about 10:05 a.m. Monday in the parking lot of the Hobby Lobby at Gurnee Mills, 6136 West Grand Avenue.
Harmon was driving her 2010 Toyota Camry through a parking lot aisle when she allegedly hit a 79-year-old man who was standing near his vehicle.
In court proceedings in front of Lake County Circuit Court Judge Michael Nerheim Wednesday, prosecutors said CCTV video obtained by the Gurnee Police Department showed Harmon was driving slowly toward the victim at first, then sped up her vehicle and intentionally slammed into the 79-year-old man.
They also said the video shows the victim being hit violently by the car, causing him to “fly through the air.”
Prosecutors also said Harmon told police she saw the victim’s face hit the windshield from inside the Toyota before speeding away.
From there, Harmon exited the aisle and pointed her vehicle at a 60-year-old woman and hit her, causing her to injure her ankle, Gurnee Police Department Public Information Officer Shawn Gaylor said.
Harmon then allegedly fled the scene in her Toyota before Gurnee police officers arrived.
Gurnee firefighter/paramedics transported the 79-year-old man to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he is in critical but stable condition as of Tuesday evening.
In court, prosecutors said the first victim was suffering from a brain bleed due to the violent attack against him.
The 60-year-old woman was transported to Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was later released from the hospital.
“Through witness statements and security footage from the area, officers were able to identify the type of vehicle involved and began actively searching the area,” Gaylor said.
Gurnee Police issued an alert at around 10:40 a.m. to surrounding police agencies through the Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network (ISPERN) to be on the lookout for Harmon’s Toyota Camry, which sustained damage to its windshield on the passenger side from hitting the two people earlier outside of Hobby Lobby.
At least two Gurnee police officers remained at the Hobby Lobby, holding the scene for crash investigators with the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT).
After the hit-and-run, Harmon allegedly pulled into the parking lot behind Panera Bread and MISSION BBQ, which is around 850 feet away from where the hit-and-run occurred.
At 10:31 a.m. – almost 30 minutes after the hit-and-run – Harmon posted two photos on her Facebook profile that showed the damage to her Toyota’s windshield while she was parked behind Panera Bread and MISSION BBQ.
“I ran through gurnee mills mall parking lot and ran over people in the name of the light good intentions praise allah Hare Krishna thank you Jesus,” she said in a Facebook post.
At 10:37 a.m., while continuing to sit in her Toyota, Harmon posted a 19-second video on her profile showing her with a large kitchen knife and bragging about “outsmarting the cops.”
“Hey, they still haven’t found me,” Harmon said while recording herself holding the knife. “I guess I outsmarted the cops – God always wins,” she added.
“I’m outside this Panera Bread right next to Gurnee Mills,” she said while pointing her camera at the restaurant and strip mall. “Someone should call the cops on me.”
“I mean, I was a good person, and now I’m homeless, so, apparently, good people don’t win anymore. Whoops – still won,” she said before ending the video.
At 10:46 a.m. – approximately 40 minutes after the hit-and-run – Harmon approached a random 30-year-old man who parked his Hyundai Tucson SUV right next to her Toyota, authorities said.
Harmon allegedly used the knife to strike the Hyundai’s window and slashed the front driver’s side tire.
The man exited the Hyundai, and a physical struggle between him and Harmon ensued, police said.
During the struggle, the man sustained several cuts to his hands from the knife but was able to disarm Harmon and restrain her until a Gurnee police officer, who was already canvassing the area in relation to the hit-and-run, noticed what was happening and immediately intervened.
“Officers issued verbal commands for the individuals to separate,” Gaylor said.
Harmon then allegedly “stood up and aggressively approached the officer, prompting the deployment of a taser,” Gaylor added.
Many Gurnee police officers – including the ones already outside Hobby Lobby – rushed to the Panera Bread and MISSION BBQ to assist the first officer.
A Lake County sheriff’s deputy, who happened to be in the area, also responded and assisted the Gurnee Police.
Harmon was subsequently arrested.
Officers immediately began administering first aid to the victim of the knife attack, who was bloody and appeared out of breath but was conscious and standing on his feet.
Officers rendered the scene safe for responding Gurnee firefighter/paramedics and immediately began interviewing witnesses and obtaining surveillance video of the attack.
Paramedics transported the man injured in the knife attack to Advocate Condell Medical Center, where he was treated and later released.
Paramedics treated Harmon for her taser-related injuries, and she complained of her thumb hurting, according to fire department radio traffic at the scene.
Harmon was also transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center, where she was treated and later released into police custody.
The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) investigated the circumstances of the hit-and-run, including analyzing both Harmon’s Toyota Camry and a Nissan Pathfinder SUV that was involved in the hit-and-run outside of Hobby Lobby.
Multiple Gurnee police detectives also responded to both incidents.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office later approved the nine charges against Harmon.
The two charges of attempted first-degree murder and leaving the scene of a crash involving personal injury are directly from the hit-and-run involving the 79-year-old man and the 60-year-old woman outside Hobby Lobby.
The two charges of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm are from the 79-year-old man sustaining critical injuries and the 30-year-old man injured in the knife attack.
The three charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon are from all three victims in both incidents.
Harmon appeared in First Appearance Court on Wednesday morning, where prosecutors filed a petition to detain Harmon until trial. That hearing was held in front of Nerheim on Wednesday afternoon.
During the afternoon court appearance, Nerheim was shown five videos by prosecutors that included the CCTV camera footage of the car hitting the first victim, the video Harmon posted on Facebook, and an interview Harmon conducted with police where she admitted she came to Gurnee Mills to kill someone.
The audio portion of the video was played in court, where an officer could be heard asking, “You said you came out here for premeditated murder?”
In response, Harmon said. “I was planning on murdering someone.”
The officer asked why, and she replied, “I just went rogue.”
Later, when the officer mentioned there are resources available to help people who are homeless, she responded, “Oh, I’m not getting out of here. (laughter) I’m not getting out of here. I’ll do it again. I need help.”
When ordering Harmon detained in Lake County jail, Nerheim added it was clear that Harmon intentionally aimed the vehicle at the first victim and sped up in an attempt to hit him.
In addition, Nerheim acknowledged Harmon’s own statements to police that she intentionally came to Illinois to kill someone and would do it again if she were released.
Harmon is due back in court Feb. 26.