LEIGHTON CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — The man charged in a shooting near the Leighton Criminal Courthouse was free on bond for a pending gun case when bullets starting flying early Monday, prosecutors said.
Tabari Harris, 19, was charged in January with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by someone with a juvenile-delinquency record, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by someone younger than 21, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon with a defaced serial number, possessing a gun with a defaced serial number and having a gun without an FOID license.
Cook County Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil on Jan. 5 at $30,000. Harris posted $3,000 bond (10 percent of bail) and was free by Jan. 9, court records show.
Harris appeared in bond court again Wednesday — this time on allegations he took part in a fight and shooting that occurred a block north of the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, 2600 S. California Ave., about 9:30 a.m. Monday.
Though prosecutors do not believe Harris was the shooter, he has been charged with aggravated battery by discharging a firearm for his alleged involvement.
As of Wednesday afternoon, prosecutors have not yet charged anyone else in the case.
According to prosecutors, the 21-year-old victim and several other people drove to the 2500 block of South California Avenue early Monday. As the victim's companions searched for change to pay for parking, authorities said, the victim waited near the group's car.
Around the same time, Harris arrived in the area in a van with several other people, Assistant State's Attorney Lorraine Scaduto said during a bond hearing Wednesday.
Harris and his accomplices began walking toward the victim, who was by that point standing in front of Popeyes Chicken, 2556 S. California Ave., prosecutors said. One of Harris' accomplices yelled and rapped at the victim and one of his friends, according to witnesses.
Words were exchanged, Scaduto said, and Harris and an accomplice soon returned to their van, where witnesses saw Harris grab an object and give it to the accomplice, prosecutors said.
The men returned to the group, where a physical fight began, prosecutors said. At some point, one of Harris' accomplices pulled a silver gun and fired three or four shots, according to Scaduto.
Multiple police and security guards in the area heard the shooting or saw the scuffle, prosecutors said.
Harris was soon arrested in a nearby alley, where a witness said Harris tossed a gun in a garbage can, according to authorities. Police recovered a Smith & Wesson semiautomatic handgun from a nearby can, Scaduto said, and later matched shell casings found on the scene to that gun.
Harris, of the 5300 block of West Harrison Street, had gunshot residue on his left hand, prosecutors said.
The victim was shot twice in his stomach and once in his buttocks, prosecutors said, and taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition. He remained hospitalized Wednesday.
Police on Monday initially told reporters the victim had been shot six times in his groin during a drive-by shooting as he was walking into the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, which is a block south of the actual shooting site.
Detectives and evidence technicians could be seen working north of Popeyes on Monday morning.
According to defense attorney LaCoulton Walls, Harris is a high-school graduate. Walls noted that Harris is right-handed and said "a lot of things don't add up" in prosecutors' version of events.
Cook County Judge Laura Sullivan on Wednesday set bail at $500,000.
