A 20-year-old man taken into custody Wednesday in connection to the fatal shooting at an Orland Park Mall earlier this week has been charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
"The Cook County States Attorney’s Office has reviewed the case and at this time has approved only the charge of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Convicted Felon against the offender Jakharr Williams," Orland Park police said in a statement. "The police investigation continues."
Williams was being transported to Bridgeview court for a bond hearing Friday, authorities said.
Williams was taken into custody without incident about 6:15 p.m. Wednesday in Matteson following a days-long manhunt, Orland Park's police chief said.
The arrest came after a 19-year-old was fatally shot and a bystander wounded at Orland Square Mall Monday night, police said.
The victim was shot near a food court, ran down an escalator and collapsed outside an H&M clothing store, Orland Park Deputy Police Chief Joseph Mitchell said.
Mitchell later said an innocent bystander suffered a graze wound during the gunfire and took themselves to a hospital in La Grange.
The shooter, who police believe knew his victim, left the mall and fled eastbound on foot, Mitchell said.
Mitchell said there were “numerous casings” in the food court area where the victim was shot in the chest.
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“This mall is one of the safest malls in the Chicagoland area,” he said. “And I want to reassure (mall visitors) them that we are gonna use every resource available to find and arrest this individual who’s responsible for this case.”
