Joliet Gunman Discards His Loaded Gun With Joliet Police In Hot Pursuit: English

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet Police Department revealed that Phillip Hinojosa, a 20-year-old member of the community, has been taken into custody on charges of reckless discharge of a gun, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon and obstructing a police officer. Joliet police used a Taser upon Hinojosa in order to subdue him, the agency noted.

According to Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English, at 5:24 p.m. on Saturday, the officers from the Joliet Police Tactical Unit were patrolling near Rowell Avenue and Second Avenue when they heard a single gunshot nearby.

Shortly before the gunshot, officers saw a male walking in a nearby alley in the 200 block of Rowell Avenue. As officers began investigating, they saw the same male running toward Second Avenue and Arizona Avenue while holding an item in his waistband.

Officers pursued the male and saw him throw a handgun into a yard in the 100 block of Arizona Avenue. Hinojosa was taken into custody following a taser deployment, English indicated.

Officers recovered a loaded handgun with an extended magazine attached from the yard where it had been discarded. A single spent shell casing was recovered where officers had originally saw Hinojosa.

Joliet police arrest logs indicate Hinojosa is now living in the 100 block of Adella Avenue, which is not that far from the shooting location. Hinojosa was processed at the Joliet Police Department and transported to the Will County Adult Detention Facility. The jail records listed Hinojosa as residing on Thomas Jefferson Drive in the village of Plainfield. He was also jailed by Joliet police for a total of three days back in March 2024.