Atty: Halloween Shooting Defendant 'Will Be Absolved Of Charges'

JOLIET, IL — A Chicago criminal defense lawyer said the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow "does not have enough evidence" to convict his client, David Grijalva, in connection with the Joliet Township Halloween shootings.

"I believe my client is innocent, and we look forward to our day in court," criminal defense lawyer Rajeev Bajaj told Joliet Patch. "My opinion is the State's Attorney's Office does not have enough evidence to secure a conviction of my client. I've been sent to fight all of the charges aggressively."

Five criminal charges have been filed against Grijalva, a 20-year-old Joliet resident. He faces one count of attempted murder in connection with the Oct. 31 shooting. Will County police have said that Grijalva is a Vice Lords street gang associate.

On Friday night, the Will County Sheriff's Office announced that Grijalva was apprehended earlier that day in a basement of a Joliet house in the 900 block of Woods Avenue after being under police surveillance in prior days.

Prosecutors have charged Grijalva with one count of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated discharges of a gun and two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

Patch asked Bajaj whether he would confirm that his client attended the Halloween weekend backyard party where the mass shootings happened shortly before 1 a.m.

"I can't comment," he answered.

Meanwhile, Will County Judge Dave Carlson has set bail at $3 million for Grijalva, who lives in the 200 block of East Mound Street.

On Nov. 5, the Will County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of Joskar Ramos, an 18-year-old Joliet teen who lives on Gael Drive, on felony weapons charges following a raid at his family's west-side apartment off Black Road.

Will County Sheriff's spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer told Joliet Patch at the time that Ramos is the prime suspect in the Halloween mass shooting at 1018 East Jackson Street.

The backyard shooting happened during a Halloween party on Joliet's east side killed two people and left several others hospitalized with gunshot wounds and other injuries. About 200 people were at the party when the shooting happened.

His bail remains set at $1 million, according to sheriff's officials.

On Monday, Patch reminded Grijalva's lawyer that Will County police previously identified Ramos as their prime shooting suspect more than two weeks ago, and Ramos has yet to be charged in connection with the mass shootings.

"That's ridiculous," Bajaj told Patch.

Related Joliet Patch coverage: Vice Lords Associate Faces Attempted Murder Charge: Sheriff