Elgin gang member tied to two shootings, police say

An Elgin man with an extensive criminal history has been linked to two gang-related shootings in April and May, according to Elgin police.

Police arrested 19-year-old Karl F. Bonilla, of the 400 block of Lowrie Court in Elgin, on May 26 for a traffic violation, later tying him to the shooting cases for which he was charged Friday, police said.

Police department spokeswoman Sue Olafson said police determined there was a warrant for Bonilla's arrest during the traffic stop. Bonilla tried to run away but police caught up with him, found him with two loaded handguns and took him to jail, Olafson said.

During the subsequent months, police have investigated two Elgin shootings that resulted in four people being hospitalized.

“As they started to investigate the cases, it became pretty clear they were gang-related and he was a known gang member,” Olafson said. “They connected him to these shootings.”

A woman was hit in the first shooting just after 5 a.m. April 23 at a restaurant in the 300 block of McLean Boulevard in Elgin, according to police. In this case, Bonilla was charged with aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated discharge of a firearm, both felonies. Bail was set at $750,000.

Three teenagers were hit in the second shooting at about 12:30 a.m. May 23 while they were in a home in the 0-99 block of Woodland Avenue in Elgin, according to police. In this case, Bonilla was charged with three counts of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated discharge of a firearm from a vehicle, all felonies. Bail was set at $1.5 million for these charges, police said.

All of the people shot in both cases were taken to Provena St. Joseph Hospital with nonlife threatening injuries and since have been released, Olafson said. “Gang cases are difficult to investigate, but Elgin's gang unit officers worked to take another violent offender off the streets,” Police Chief Jeff Swoboda in a news release.

According to Kane County court records, Bonilla previously has been charged with truancy, battery, domestic battery, criminal trespass, possession of drug paraphernalia and armed violence. He was already in Kane County jail when Elgin police added the most recent shooting charges, Olafson said.

Bonilla is next due in court Sept. 15.