Evanston police say one person is in custody and another is hospitalized with a minor injury after a shooting incident at the intersection of Ashland Avenue and Payne Street in the 5th Ward.
Police say the shooting happened about 4:10 p.m. Sunday and that the suspect fired two shots at the victim.
Although the shooting occurred outside the Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall, police say there’s no indication of a religious motivation for the incident.
Update 9:20 p.m.: Police Cmdr. Ryan Glew says the male victim is from Wheeling, the man in custody is from Gurnee and that they knew each other.
He says the events leading up to the shooting are still being investigated.
Update 7:30 p.m. 2/13/23: Glew says the shooting suspect is 66-year old man. The victim, a 33-year-old man, now has been released from the hospital after treatment for a minor hand injury.
Glew says the motive for the shooting was “an alleged financial deal gone bad.”
He says the shooting took place while both men were standing in the parking lot of the Evanston Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
He says that after the shooting the victim and his brother were able to subdue the suspect.
Glew says charges in the case are expected to be issued shortly.
Update 5:30 p.m. 2/14/23: Evanston Police now say 66-year-old Alex Gorobets, of the 100 block of Minthaven Court in Gurnee, is being held without bond on felony counts of attempted first degree murder and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
The police also say that the victim was treated at the scene for an injury to his thumb but was not transported to a hospital as they had earlier reported.
The citizens of Evanston would like to learn what attracted these two gun carrying criminals to the 5th ward from Wheeling and Gurnee. Hopefully the investigation by the EPD will determine this.
I’m sure they just happened to be in the neighborhood.