A Wisconsin woman recorded herself bragging about escaping Gurnee police after allegedly hitting and injuring two people with her car at a Gurnee Mills parking lot, before attacking a random man with a knife on Monday.
Katelyn A. Harmon, 25, of Waukesha, Wisc., was charged Tuesday with multiple counts of attempted murder and aggravated battery in what police called “random acts of violence” in the parking lot at Gurnee Mills.
Harmon is 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 for the attacks at Gurnee Mills.
The first incident happened at around 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.
She then allegedly exited the aisle and hit a 60-year-old woman, 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.
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. It is unclear when exactly she pulled into the lot.
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 the 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.
The Hyundai was not in Harmon’s video when it was posted.
Harmon allegedly used the knife to strike the Hyundai’s window and slashed the front driver’s side tire.
The man exited his Hyundai, and a physical struggle between him and Harmon ensued.
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 Gurnee Police.
Harmon was subsequently arrested.
Officers immediately began administering first aid to the victim, 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.
Gurnee firefighters used a hose line to wash the blood away after the crime scene was processed.
Ernie’s Wrecker Service, based in Vernon Hills, towed both the Toyota and Nissan away.
Both scenes were cleared by 1:30 p.m.
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 is currently in the custody of the Gurnee Police Department.
She is expected to appear on Wednesday morning for her first appearance hearing at the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan.
“At this time, investigators have not identified a clear motive for the incidents,” Gaylor said.
“The actions appear to have been random, and there is no known connection between the suspect and the victims,” Gaylor added.
Gurnee police detectives are continuing to investigate both incidents.
“The Gurnee Police Department would like to thank members of the public and witnesses who came forward and provided information during the investigation. Their cooperation was instrumental in helping officers and detectives advance this case,” Gaylor said.
Police are expected to provide further information as it becomes available.