The coroner has released the identity of a 29-year-old man who died after being shot multiple times in Waukegan Monday, which spurred an hour-long police pursuit of the suspect vehicle through Lake County.
The Waukegan Police Department responded around 6:57 p.m. Monday to the 700 block of Lincoln Avenue in Waukegan for a report of shots fired.
Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Craig Neal said it was reported that a white Nissan four-door fled the area after being involved in the incident.
Officers arrived and located multiple shell casings on the ground that had been fired from different guns.
Neal said a crime scene was established and it was later learned that a person had been shot in the incident.
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek identified the victim on Wednesday as Koron Gibson, 29, of Waukegan.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office said that friends or family of Gibson had begun driving him to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan before officers arrived at the shooting scene.
Gibson was dropped off at the hospital and pronounced dead from his injuries a short time later, coroner’s officials said.
The coroner’s office was notified just before 9 p.m. and responded to the hospital to take possession of the victim for an autopsy, which was performed on Tuesday morning.
The autopsy showed Gibson died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds, Banek said.
The family of Gibson has planned for a balloon release to be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the area of 8th Street and Lincoln Avenue.
Neal said responding officers spotted the Nissan Murano that was reported to be involved.
A traffic stop was conducted but the driver refused to stop and a police pursuit began just before 7:30 p.m. Monday in the area of southbound Jackson Street near Grand Avenue in Waukegan.
Several suspects jumped out of the fleeing vehicle at various locations during the chase, Neal said.
The pursuit continued for an hour and traveled through North Chicago, Waukegan, Park City and Gurnee.
Police officers deployed spike strips multiple times in an attempt to deflate the Nissan’s tires and end the chase, according to police radio traffic.
The chase ranged in speeds but generally did not reach extremely high speeds.
Police were going to terminate the chase due to speeds increasing and presenting a danger to the public around 8:20 p.m. on Green Bay Road in Waukegan.
A Chicago Police Department helicopter was overhead during the pursuit and the Nissan slowed down as it traveled onto a residential street, which prompted officers to continue the chase.
Numerous police agencies were involved in the pursuit, including the Illinois State Police, Lake County Sheriff’s Office and North Chicago Police Department.
Police radio traffic indicated there was discussion of troopers performing a PIT maneuver to end the chase.
Neal said troopers were able to successfully bring the pursuit to an end.
It ended in the area of 12th Street and Elizabeth Avenue in Waukegan around 8:25 p.m.
Officers apprehended four juvenile suspects from the Nissan. Investigators also located crime-related evidence at multiple locations in Waukegan, including two guns, Neal said.
The Waukegan Police Department said in a statement that it was involved in a pursuit that crossed multiple jurisdictions.
“The Waukegan Police Department expresses its appreciation to all the jurisdictions who assisted in ending this pursuit safely,” the police department said after the incident Monday evening.
Neal said the shooting was believed to have been an isolated incident with no ongoing risk to the public.
The investigation is being handled by the Waukegan Police Department Criminal Investigations Division.
Detectives are working with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office to screen the case for potential charges.
None were filed as of Tuesday afternoon.