Arrest Made in East Side Disturbance that Put Schools on Alert
Elijah Smith (18, Joliet) was arrested, processed, and released on a Notice to Appear for Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Obstructing a Peace Officer.
On January 28, 2025, at 2:34 p.m., Officers responded to the area of Benton Street and Youngs Avenue for a report of suspicious individuals wearing masks that were possibly armed with firearms.
As Officers converged on the area, they observed four males who began to run while holding their waistbands upon seeing the Officers. A 17-year-old male in this group was immediately detained. The remaining three suspects continued to run in the 500 block of Benton Street.
During the foot chase, Officers overheard what appeared to be a gunshot coming from nearby in the 500 block of Dover Street. Officers then caught up to and detained an additional 17-year-old male suspect as well as Smith, who was last seen in the 500 block of Dover Street.
Officers were unable to locate the fourth suspect. Following a search of the area, Officers recovered two loaded handguns and a loaded rifle. One of the handguns was equipped with an automatic switch. It is believed one of the firearms discharged when it was discarded during the incident.
No injuries were reported.
Following questioning at the Joliet Police Department, the two 17-year-old males were released to a parent without charges pending further investigation.
Nearby schools, including Joliet Central High School were notified to enact precautionary safety measures during of the investigation of this incident.
This case remains under active investigation.