A night disrupted by violence ended in the arrest of two individuals following a series of high-speed pursuits with law enforcement. The chase ensued after two women were shot in a drive-by shooting around 2:00 a.m. near Green Bay Road and Bonnie Brook Lane in Beach Park, according to Lake County.
Arriving deputies discovered a severely damaged vehicle off the road; the two female occupants had suffered gunshot wounds—one in the eye and another in the leg, and one deputy was able to apply a tourniquet that likely saved the woman’s life, both victims were promptly taken to local hospitals and expect to recover, as detailed by Lake County. An initial assessment disclosed that the women had left a bar in North Chicago, being subsequently fired upon from a grey Dodge as they were en route home. In the vicinity, deputies gathered multiple spent shell casings.
Following the shooting, a description of the suspect's vehicle was broadcast regionally leading to a sighting by a Waukegan Police Officer roughly 30 minutes later. The suspects, driving a grey Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, fled from the attempted stop on Sunset Avenue, triggering the first of what would be several high-speed pursuits. Although the suspects managed to escape that first confrontation with law enforcement by pushing their vehicle to dangerous speeds.
The chase resumed when another Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy located the Dodge going southbound on Route 41 near Route 173, the ensuing pursuit witnessing the suspects make a U-turn at Stearns School Road before heading northbound again, and even when a Zion Police Officer managed to hit the Dodge with a tire deflation device, the driver continued to maintain a dangerous speed until they ultimately crashed in a wooded area, as per Lake County. Sheriff's deputies, Zion Police Officers, Waukegan Police Officers promptly cordoned off the area, employed police canines and drones which culminated in the capture of both the juvenile and adult male suspects.
Two weapons, a rifle and a pistol, were recovered from the stolen vehicle, and an additional pistol was found nearby where an offender was apprehended. The vehicle is suspected to be stolen from Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, and investigation on this aspect is still ongoing. Further developments are awaited as Lake County Sheriff’s Detectives carry on with the investigation and as charges await potential filing by the state’s attorney’s office.
