The first full weekend of 2017 in Lake County included two homicides, one in North Chicago and another in Winthrop Harbor, and a possible gang-related shooting in Waukegan.
In North Chicago, police had a suspect in custody, but the investigation is ongoing, Lt. Frederick Diez said.
Police were called to an area near Victoria and 13th streets at 9:37 p.m. Saturday and found that a 44-year-old man who had been shot, Diez said. The man was transported to Vista Medical Center East, Waukegan, where he died of his injuries. An area resident, who did not want to be identified, said the shooting occurred inside a vehicle. Autopsy results were not immediately available.
On Friday, Winthrop Harbor police were dispatched to 3600 Creekside Court at 8:45 p.m. for a report of shots fired and when they arrived they found a 46-year-old man inside the attached garage who was critically wounded, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Christopher Covelli said. He said the victim, Jeffrey LaLond, was transported to Vista Medical Center East, where he was pronounced dead.
Police called in the Lake County Major Crime Task Force to assist in the investigation. Lake County Coroner Scott said LaLond’s autopsy was held Sunday morning, but results were not immediately available. Covelli said LaLond lived in the house with adult relatives, and that he was shot inside the garage, but declined release any more information about the shooting. On Sunday afternoon, a police car was parked blocking the driveway of the home, and a neighbor said police had been there since the incident.
In Waukegan, police received a call of shots fired early Saturday morning on Friday on Genesee Street and when police arrived they found multiple shell casings in the street but no victims, according to Comdr. Joe Florip.
While officers were investigating the incident they were informed by police dispatch that a victim — a 24-year-old Round Lake Beach woman — had arrived at Vista Medical Center East with a non-life-threatening gunshot injury to her shoulder, he said.
Patrol officers called the detectives from the Gang Intelligence Unit (GIU) who then responded to the scene and the hospital, Florip said, adding that neither the victim nor witnesses would cooperate with police.
Anyone with information on this incident should call the police department’s tip line at 847-360-9001.
Anyone with information on the Winthrop Harbor shooting death should call the Winthrop Harbor Police Department at 847-872-2131 or Lake County CrimeStoppers at 847-662-2222.
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