Man Charged In Elmhurst Shooting

ELMHURST, IL — A man with addresses in Elmhurst and Mesa, Ariz., has been charged in connection with the shooting of a man in Elmhurst's Butterfield Park neighborhood in May, the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office announced Wednesday. Alec Gonzales, 22, is facing a charge of attempted first-degree murder.

Extradition proceedings are pending, with Gonzales expected to return soon to DuPage County, the state's attorney's office said. According to a complaint filed in DuPage County, Gonzales shot a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle eight times at the victim, hitting his side and grazing his scalp. On June 25, Judge Kavita Athanikar issued a $5 million cash arrest warrant for Gonzales. The suspect was taken into custody that same day in Mesa and is in the Maricopa County Jail.

"In the midst of a deadly pandemic, the identification and apprehension of a man who allegedly shot another man and then fled the state is a testament to the commitment to justice exhibited by all of those involved," State's Bob Berlin said in a news release. "Mr. Gonzales will now be brought back to DuPage County where he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

According to Elmhurst police, the shooting happened shortly before 9 p.m. May 14 in the 800 block of South Linden Avenue. When police arrived, they found a 54-year-old man who was the victim of a gunshot wound.

Witnesses reported that a new model, light-colored SUV heading west in the 300 block of Van Buren slowed and someone from inside fired several shots at the victim who was walking on the sidewalk, according to the release. The victim was taken to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was treated for gunshot wounds.

Gonzales has an address in the 600 block of South Berkley Avenue. About a week after the shooting, police announced they had executed a warrant at a house in that block, but did not give details.