Gunshots At Western Avenue Building: Judge Colon-Sayre Releases Joliet's Shooting Defendant

JOLIET, IL — A Valentine's Day shooting incident at 373 Western Ave. has resulted in Sunday's release of Joliet resident Brian K. Turner from the Will County Jail. Turner faces criminal charges of reckless discharge of a firearm, aggravated unlawful possession of a firearm and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.

The decision to release Turner from the Will County Jail, against the wishes of the Will County State's Attorney's Office, came from Will County Judge Jessica Colon-Sayre.

According to the prosecution's filing, at 7:44 p.m. on Valentine's, Joliet police were called to 373 Western Ave. for gunshots fired outside the building. A tenant of the building and a Western Avenue Grocery clerk both heard three gunshots. As the officers canvassed the area, they heard five more gunshots coming from the tall building. In total, Joliet police found nine shell casings on the ground outside the building near the east side entrance.

The surveillance video showed a black man in a red sweatshirt exiting the building and raising his right arm toward the sky. He then walked back inside the building, court files show.

In the footage, "a gun can be seen in his right hand before he places it into his hooded sweatshirt pocket," prosecutors informed Judge Colon.

According to prosecutors, while Joliet police investigated the shooting incident, a man matching the person in the surveillance video footage left the building through the east side doors. The man was detained and identified by Joliet police as the gunman. Officers recovered a Hi-Point Model 09 9mm semi-automatic handgun with an ammunition magazine tucked underneath the first flight of stairs in the building, court files indicate.

Joliet police obtained a search warrant for Turner's apartment in the building and a red Nike hoodie with a black Nike swoosh was found in the communal bathroom next to Turner's apartment. Turner has no valid FOID or CCL, prosecutors outlined in their petition.

"The search warrant also authorized officers to obtain a buccal swab and retrieve the defendant's passcode to his phone. However, the defendant was not cooperative and refused to provide the passcode to his phone and give a buccal sample," prosecutors noted.

According to court files, Judge Colon opted to place Turner on electronic monitoring until further of the court. He will be kept on GPS monitoring and under home confinement from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Friday. The judge issued her ruling on Sunday.

Turner lives inside the apartment building at 373 Western Ave., jail logs show. It's one of the tallest buildings on Joliet's west side.