Naperville police make another gun arrest at Topgolf

A Palos Park man faces a felony weapons charge after Naperville police said they found a loaded pistol in his vehicle at Topgolf.

Gary Howard, 20, has been charged with one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

During a first-appearance court hearing Saturday, DuPage County Judge Brian Jacobs granted prosecutors’ request that Howard remain held in jail while awaiting trial. Howard also is currently facing aggravated fleeing and eluding, and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon charges out of Cook County.

According to DuPage prosecutors, Naperville police officers were on routine foot patrol at the Topgolf on Odyssey Court at about 9:51 p.m. Friday when they spotted a handgun with an extended magazine in plain view on the rear driver’s side floorboard of a vehicle.

Officers saw two people return to the vehicle, with one of them entering the front passenger seat. Authorities alleged that the man, later identified as Howard, opened the rear driver’s side door, retrieved an item, and then got into the driver’s seat.

Police turned on their emergency lights and converged on Howard’s vehicle. When officers searched Howard’s vehicle, they found a loaded Glock 23 .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine that had been moved to the driver’s floorboard from the rear driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle, according to the DuPage state’s attorney’s office.

Howard was taken into custody at that time, the latest in a rash of weapons-related arrests in the parking lot of the recreation venue.

Howard is next due in court for his arraignment on May 13.