The sheriff has announced murder charges against a Zion man accused of fatally shooting a 30-year-old man, who was a father of a young boy, in what the victim’s family called a “devastating tragedy.”
Kendrick Williams, 33, of Zion, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, a Class M felony.
He was arrested in front of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office headquarters in Waukegan on Tuesday, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli.
The charges stem from a homicide that occurred around 3:10 a.m. on July 24 in the 25900 block of West Laneville Drive in Ingleside.
The sheriff’s office responded to the home for a report of a disturbance in progress.
Sheriff’s 911 telecommunicators learned someone inside the home was shot, Covelli said.
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek identified the victim as Joshua Strong, 30, of Ingleside.
Covelli said dispatchers also learned that the person believed to have fired the weapon was still armed.
Sheriff’s deputies quickly arrived and located a subject matching the description outside the residence.
Williams was taken into custody without incident and deputies recovered a firearm from his person, Covelli said.
Sheriff’s deputies safely evacuated numerous other individuals who were inside the home, including children.
Covelli said they also found Strong, with apparent gunshot wounds, deceased inside the home.
The Fox Lake Fire Protection District responded to the scene and confirmed Strong was deceased.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and an autopsy was performed that confirmed Strong died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.
Williams was held in custody while Lake County sheriff’s detectives continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disturbance and subsequent shooting.
Williams was later released from custody without charges, the victim’s family said in July.
Covelli told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that a physical struggle ensued before the shooting and Williams also suffered injuries.
Detectives received conflicting statements about who the primary aggressor was, which is why Williams was initially released pending further investigation, Covelli said.
Detectives remained at the scene into late in the morning on July 24 as they continued the investigation. Crime scene tape was set up around the house and the street was shut down.
Strong’s family said they are trying to navigate “this devastating tragedy” and their lives were “changed forever” when he died.
“Joshua’s courage, selflessness, and unconditional love defined the kind of man he was. He never hesitated to put others before himself, and that is how we will always remember him,” said Alisha Bond, the victim’s sister.
Sheriff’s detectives continued to gather evidence, conduct follow-up interviews and review the available information.
The case was presented again to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, which approved the murder charges recently.
An arrest warrant was issued for Williams on September 9.
“Since the night Joshua Strong lost his life, our detectives have worked diligently to piece together what happened and hold the person responsible accountable,” Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said.
“While nothing can undo the loss suffered by Joshua’s family, we hope this development provides some measure of closure as the case moves forward through the court system,” Idleburg said.
Williams remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.