Police: Deadly road rage shooting in Chicago's western suburbs was self-defense
SCHILLER PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- Authorities ruled Thursday that a man will not be charged in a road rage shooting that left another man dead and a woman injured in Schiller Park this week.
Schiller Park police said they decided, along with the Cook County State's Attorney's office, that the man acted in self-defense.
At 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Schiller Park police were called to the 10000 block of Irving Park Road for a road rage incident in which shots had been fired.
Two cars were involved. Police said one man and woman were in a Nissan Sentra, while another man and woman—and three children—were in a Chevrolet Traverse.
The man who had been driving the Nissan Sentra—now identified as Malachi N. Johnson, 19—was found with gunshot wounds and was later pronounced dead at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, police said. The woman he had been driving with was shot and wounded and was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where she was treated and later released, police said.
Several other people who were involved in the incident were brought in for questioning by Schiller Park police.
An investigation has since determined that Johnson and the other driver got into a road rage incident while headed south on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294). The quarrel continued as they got off and ended up on Irving Park Road, where both vehicles stopped next to each other for traffic, police said.
While the cars were stopped next to each other, Johnson got out of his car and proceeded toward the Chevrolet, police said. Once there, both Johnson and the other man brandished guns, and shots were exchanged, police said.
Johnson was struck in the upper body, police said. The other man and the people in his vehicle were not struck, police said.
After reviewing all evidence, authorities determined that the driver who shot and killed Johnson had acted in self-defense. He also had both a Firearm Owners Identification card and a Concealed Carry License, and he will not be charged, police said.