A Zion man who was told to leave an Ingleside home shot a father in the torso and then paused as everyone in the bedroom stopped moving before shooting him a second time, leaving him dead, prosecutors said.
Kendrick Williams, 33, of Zion, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, a Class M felony, in the death of Joshua Strong, 30, of Ingleside.
The charges stem from a shooting that occurred around 3:10 a.m. on July 24 in the 25900 block of West Laneville Drive in Ingleside.
Strong lived at the home with his longtime girlfriend and her multi-generational family, including her mother, her brother, her adult son and daughter and younger children, Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Scott Hoffert said.
Williams was dating the mother of Strong’s girlfriend, Hoffert said.
Hoffert said Williams is a heavy, daily drinker who has a Firearm Owner’s Identification card and a concealed carry license, with multiple witnesses saying he always carries a handgun.
Williams spent the night at the home and woke up shortly before 3 a.m. on July 24 wanting to have sex with his girlfriend, Hoffert said.
Williams started playing loud music and yelling at her as he was angry that she rebuffed him, Hoffert said.
The woman told Williams that he needed to leave and that she would drive him to Zion, Hoffert said.
Hoffert said other family members were coming in and out of the bedroom, angered by the noise in the middle of the night.
Strong entered the bedroom to confront Williams. The adult son and daughter of Strong’s girlfriend were also in the room, Hoffert said.
Hoffert said the son and daughter gave consistent statements that they saw Williams crouching in the corner next to the bed with Strong standing over him.
Strong had his hand on Williams’ neck or shoulder and was yelling at him, Hoffert said.
Strong’s girlfriend was on the bed hitting Williams until her mother led her out of the room, Hoffert said.
Hoffert said the girlfriend’s daughter then pulled Strong’s arms back to pull him away from Williams.
While they were in that position, Williams drew his handgun and shot Strong in the torso, Hoffert said.
Everyone stopped moving and, after a pause, Williams shot Strong a second time, Hoffert said. Strong collapsed on the floor and died.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to the home for a report of a disturbance in progress and learned that someone inside had been shot and that the person believed to have fired the weapon was still armed.
Deputies took Williams into custody without incident outside the residence and recovered a firearm from him, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli said at the time.
Deputies evacuated numerous other people from inside the home, including children, and found Strong dead inside with apparent gunshot wounds, Covelli said.
An autopsy performed by the Lake County Coroner’s Office confirmed Strong died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.
Williams admitted to shooting Strong once, Hoffert said. Williams said he wanted to leave and the family would not let him and that they instead laid their hands on him.
Williams told investigators that Strong was choking him and that he shot Strong in self-defense.
Hoffert said Williams did not say that he could not breathe or that he was in fear for his life.
When asked if he thought Strong might try to kill him, Williams replied that he knows Strong has guns but does not know where he keeps them, Hoffert said.
Officers observed Williams had a fat lip and various marks and scratches but no serious injuries, Hoffert said.
Williams was initially held in custody while sheriff’s detectives investigated but was released without charges after detectives received conflicting statements about who the primary aggressor was, Covelli said.
The case was later presented again to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, which approved the murder charges, and an arrest warrant was issued for Williams on September 9.
Williams was arrested Tuesday in front of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office headquarters in Waukegan.
Strong’s family previously described his death as a “devastating tragedy.” Strong was a father to a young boy.
Prosecutors filed the petition to detain Williams, arguing that no conditions of release could mitigate the threat he poses to the community.
Hoffert said there is no technology that can confine Williams to his home with certainty and that pretrial services cannot conduct effective 24-hour surveillance of his residence.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the petition following a detention hearing on Thursday afternoon and ordered Williams held in the Lake County Jail pending trial.
Defense attorney Nathaniel Bernard, who is representing Williams, argued for his client’s release and said it was a “classic example” of self-defense. He said Williams, who is a licensed concealed carry holder, is much smaller than the victim.
Bernard said a witness told police they observed Strong trying to disarm Williams and that several people battered Williams while he was cowering in the corner of the room.
The judge said that while the victim was clearly the primary aggressor initially, Williams is alleged to have shot him as he was being pulled away by another person.
Williams is scheduled to appear in court on September 24 for a status hearing. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 15.