Police make arrest in Park Ridge road rage shooting at rush-hour

Park Ridge police have arrested a 24-year-old Lake County man in connection with a road rage incident Monday, Aug. 19 in which shots were fired and police had to cordon off a busy Uptown thoroughfare during evening rush hour.

Cook County State’s Attorneys have approved a felony charge of Aggravated
Discharge of a Firearm at an Occupied Vehicle for Amani Walker, 24, of Keith Avenue in Gurnee.

At approximately 5:09 p.m. that day, Park Ridge police responded to a report of shots fired at the intersection of Touhy Avenue. and Busse Highway, just north of the Park Ridge Metra station. Police confirmed a shooting had taken place, but the parties had left the scene, police said in a statement.

Park Ridge officers located two of the three vehicles involved in the incident, a gray Hyundai and a dark-colored Honda, stopped in front of the Niles Police Station with the occupants walking around outside of the vehicles, according to police, and Park Ridge officers conducted a preliminary investigation and learned that the
shooting was the result of a road rage incident. The person who fired the shots fled the scene in a black-colored Jaguar.

The investigation revealed that drivers of the Honda and Hyundai were involved in a moving vehicle dispute with the driver of the Jaguar and at one point, the Jaguar rear-ended the Hyundai, according to the police news release. All three vehicles came to a stop at the intersection of Touhy at Busse where the drivers of the Honda and Hyundai exited their vehicles, approached the Jaguar, knocked and banged
their hands on the Jaguar’s windows, causing the rear window to break. The driver of the Jaguar, defendant Walker, displayed a gun and the two other drivers proceeded to run back towards their cars, police said.

The defendant then fired three shots towards the two other drivers, ultimately striking the Hyundai, according to the news release. No one was hit by the gunfire and the defendant and the drivers of the two other involved vehicles fled from the scene.

After a radio message was sent out to surrounding police departments, Skokie police spotted the black Jaguar and initiated a traffic stop. The defendant did not stop, police said, and after a short, low-speed pursuit, Skokie police were able to stop the Jaguar and take the defendant into custody. During the arrest, police said
the defendant was found to be in possession of a 9mm handgun. The defendant had a FOID card and concealed carry license.

The defendant was taken to the Park Ridge Police Department where Park Ridge detectives contacted the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and received approval for the felony charge.

An arrest does not constitute evidence of a conviction.