Driver Who Fired Gun At McDonald's Drive-Thru Arrested: Mount Prospect PD

MOUNT PROSPECT, IL — The driver of a car who is accused of pulling up to another vehicle at a McDonald's drive-thru and firing a gun last month has been arrested. Bashkim Rockwell, 38, of the 200 block of 8th Avenue, Sterling, was charged Friday with three felonies stemming from the July 25 incident at the 13 W. Rand Road restaurant in Mount Prospect.

Rockwell remains in the Cook County Jail and is due back in court on Aug. 29, according to Mount Prospect Police. He was charged with the following:

• one count of felony aggravated discharge of a firearm
• two felony counts of aggravated fleeing and eluding police
• misdemeanor count of fleeing and eluding police
• misdemeanor count of speeding 35 mph over the speed limit

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office approved the charges.

The charges stem from an incident on July 25 when Mount Prospect police responded to the McDonald's at around 12:58 a.m. following a report of shots fired. During the subsequent investigation, police learned a dark-colored Chevrolet sedan had pulled alongside a Honda Pilot at the drive-thru window, where the sedan driver attempted to talk with the four 16-year-old occupants.

RELATED: Driver Fires Gun At Another Car In McDonald's Drive-Thru — Mount Prospect PD

As the Honda pulled forward to the next drive-thru window, police said the sedan driver pulled past the car while pointing a black-colored handgun at the ground out of the window. The teens told police they heard what they believed to be a gunshot before the sedan sped out of the parking lot and fled the immediate area. The teens were not injured and called 911 to report the incident.

Police found damage on the side of the front bumper of the Honda consistent with being struck by a bullet. Crime scene technicians collected a shell casing and other evidence from the scene.

At around 1:40 a.m., a Mount Prospect police officer was traveling in the area of Kensington Road and Wheeling Road when he saw a dark-colored sedan and the driver of the sedan matching the description from the shooting at McDonald's. The officer activated his emergency lights to attempt to stop the sedan. Police said the sedan failed to stop and continued to drive, disobeying red lights and driving at a high rate of speed. Due to the high rate of speed, disregard of red lights and the concern for the safety of the community, police said they made the decision it would be safer for the community to apprehend the offender at a later date and terminated the chase.

Mount Prospect police were able to identity Rockwell during the investigation. With the assistance of the Whiteside County Sheriff's Office, he was taken into custody on July 31 in Sterling.