Joliet Man Faces 13 Charges After Taking 2 Hostage, Firing At Cops:CPD

JOLIET, IL — A 43-year-old Joliet man faces 13 felony charges after police say he took two people hostage and then shot at police earlier this week in Chicago’s West Pullman neighborhood.

Steven Wade was scheduled to appear in bond court on Thursday, two days after he was arrested and charged with nine counts of attempted murder, kidnapping, and unlawful restraint. Police said Wade broke into a residence in the 12900 block of South Peoria Street and held a 44-year-old woman and 21-year-old man hostage at gunpoint, police said.

A SWAT unit was called to the residence and once officers responded to the scene, police said that Wade began firing at officers. No one was hit by the gunfire, but Wade was charged with attempted murder in the incident, along with other felony charges.

WGN reported on Thursday that according to police reports, Wade was wearing soft body armor and in possession of four guns including two Glocks equipped with an “auto sear" at the time of the incident. The report described the auto sear as a device that turns a semi-automatic weapon into a rapid-fire gun whose entire magazine can be fired with a single pull of the trigger.

Police were called to the residence at 1:25 a.m. on Tuesday for what authorities referred to as a domestic disturbance. Wade was arrested at around 2:15 a.m. after police returned fire at the residence.

Police said a weapon was recovered by police at the scene.