A Downers Grove man was charged with attempted first-degree murder, following a shooting Dec. 3 at a Darien Wal-Mart.
Bradley Morris, 19, of the 1000 block of Palmer Street, was charged with one count of attempted first degree murder, a Class X felony; one count of aggravated battery with a firearm, a Class X felony; and one count of unlawful use of a weapon, a Class 4 felony, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office. The suspect’s bond was set at $3 million.
Prosecutors said officers with the Darien Police Department responded to a call of shots fired in the store at approximately 5:40 p.m. Dec. 3. Upon their arrival, officers gathered evidence and spoke to witnesses.
According to the state’s attorney, there was a verbal altercation in the store between Morris and the victim that turned physical. The suspect then pulled a gun and shot four times at the victim, striking him once in the back of his right shoulder. Following the shooting, the suspect fled the scene.
An investigation into the shooting led authorities to Morris, who was apprehended Dec. 5 at a bus station in Chicago. Prosecutors said he was attempting to board a bus bound for Florida. The injury sustained by the victim in this case was not life-threatening, and he is expected to make a full recovery.
“I would like to thank the Darien Police Department, the U.S. Marshall’s Office and the Felony Investigative Assistance Team whose outstanding efforts led to a man who allegedly thought nothing of firing a weapon in a crowded store during the busiest shopping season of the year,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 4.