DeKalb man denied bail in West Chicago shooting

Bail was denied Friday for a DeKalb man accused of shooting and critically injuring a man outside his West Chicago workplace last month, officials said.

Ahmad Steele, 34, of the 1400 block of Twombly Road, is charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm in connection with the Jan. 28 random shooting, according to the DuPage County state's attorney's office.

The victim, who did not know Steele, was sitting in his car during his dinner break from Mapei Corporation, 530 Industrial Drive, when an SUV entered the parking lot and parked several spaces away, prosecutors say. An investigation determined Steele got out of the SUV carrying a shotgun, approached the vehicle on the driver's side, and shot the man in the face.

After returning to his SUV, Steele went back to the victim's car and raised the shotgun a second time before fleeing the scene, officials said.

West Chicago police responded about 7:50 p.m. to find the victim walking around the building's parking lot with a gunshot wound to the face, according to a news release. The man was taken to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

On Feb. 6, Naperville police spotted the SUV on Route 59 and conducted a traffic stop, during which Steele - who was driving on a revoked driver's license - was arrested, officials said.

Three days later, authorities found a shotgun and shotgun shells during a search warrant at Steele's residence, according to the state's attorney's office. They also learned he had recently searched the internet for unsolved murders and recent homicides in the area.

Steele is due in court March 8 for arraignment in front of DuPage County Chief Judge Daniel Guerin. If found guilty, prosecutors say, he could face 25 years to natural life in prison.