33 Shell Casings From 4 Guns Found But Only 1 Pistol Located and 1 Shooter Jailed: Cops

JOLIET, IL — A Joliet man claimed he ran to his car when a guest at a cookout started shooting at him, grabbed his own gun and merely fired in the air so he could make his getaway, police said, but he still ended up going to jail.

John Hilliard, 28, was caught with a gun when the cops pulled him over on Grover Street shortly after midnight Wednesday, police said.

The cops were called after reports of shots fired at a cookout on nearby Bowen Place.

A 36-year-old man was at the cookout and called Hilliard to come pick him up, police said. When he got there, Hilliard reportedly argued with another man who he said pulled a gun and opened fire on him.

Hilliard explained how he got his own pistol from his car and shot it in the air to buy enough time to get out of there with his buddy.

The 36-year-old friend was riding with Hilliard when the cops pulled them over. He was also taken into custody but later released without charge.

During a search of the area around the Bowen Street cookout, officers found 15 shell casings from one weapon, 10 from another, five from a third and another three from a fourth, police said.

No one who remained at the Bowen Street residence was able to offer any information on the incident, police said.