Bond Set At $500K For Zion Man Accused In McHenry Shooting

By Sam Borcia, the Lake & McHenry County Scanner | August 31, 2021 3:44 pm

A judge ordered a Zion man held on a $500,000 bond after he was charged with attempted murder in connection with a shootout in McHenry where over 50 shots were fired on Sunday.

Dante L. Terrell, Jr., 29, of the 2300 block of Joppa Avenue in Zion, was charged with attempted murder, aggravated discharge of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

McHenry Police Department Public Affairs Officer Michael Spohn said the incident happened around 1:25 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of Route 31 and Bull Valley Road in McHenry.

Prosecutors said during a bond hearing that Terrell was in the area on his way to a football game when another vehicle approached the intersection, the Northwest Herald reported.

Terrell and other people began shooting at each other, prosecutors said, adding that the subjects involved had interacted with each other earlier at a gas station.

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McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis set Terrell’s bond at $500,000 on Tuesday. He would need to post $50,000 cash in order to be released.

A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said that Terrell fired an FN 509 9mm pistol during the incident.

He was not legally in possession of the gun as he did not have a FOID card, the complaint said.

A rifle casing lays on the ground next to an evidence marker as police investigate a shooting at the intersection of Route 31 and Bull Valley Road in McHenry Sunday afternoon. | Photo: Alex Vucha / Lake and McHenry County Scanner.

According to an alert sent out to area law enforcement officers in McHenry County, one of the gunmen in a red Jeep Compass used an AR-15 style rifle to shoot at a silver Nissan Maxima.

The McHenry Police Department said on Monday they are not able to confirm yet what type of guns were used. However, photos from the scene appear to show rifle casings.

A nearby vehicle, sitting in traffic at the intersection, was also struck by the gunfire, Spohn said.

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Spohn said no injuries were reported in the shooting, which he called “an isolated incident.”

Several witnesses at the scene reported seeing dozens of spent casings on the ground just west of the intersection.

At least 50 evidence markers were placed over the casings as police investigated the scene. Spohn confirmed that over 50 shell casings were recovered.

Police investigate a shooting at the intersection of Route 31 and Bull Valley Road in McHenry Sunday afternoon. | Photo: Alex Vucha / Lake and McHenry County Scanner.

The McHenry Police Department issued a Nixle warning to residents to avoid the intersection for several hours due to the investigation.

None of the subjects involved are residents of McHenry or McHenry County, Spohn said.

Investigators took Terrell into custody within a couple of hours of the shooting. McHenry police say they are still searching for additional suspects involved.

Terrell was also wanted on a warrant from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

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Anyone with information related to the incident is asked to contact the Criminal Investigation Division of the McHenry Police Department at 815-363-2599.

Those wishing to pass along anonymous information are encouraged to call the McHenry Police Department’s tip line at 815-363-2124. All calls made to the tip line are anonymous as Caller ID is not used.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner is a local breaking news website covering issues that matter such as shootings, stabbings, house fires, kidnappings, car accidents, and more around Lake County and McHenry County.