Suburban man charged with murder in Mundelein shooting

A South suburban man who authorities say shot a Mundelein couple in their apartment Tuesday, killing one, will remain in the Lake County jail pending a detention hearing Thursday.

Deandre Y. Harris, 21, of South Holland, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 48-year-old Herbert Lomax. He’s also charged with aggravated battery with a firearm in the wounding of Lomax’s 47-year-old girlfriend, whose name hasn’t been released.

Harris appeared in court late Wednesday morning before Lake County Judge Rhonda K. Bruno, who set his detention hearing for Thursday afternoon.

The shooting occurred shortly before 11:40 a.m. Tuesday in an apartment on the 500 block of Deepwoods Drive, said Christopher Covelli, spokesperson for the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force.

Harris has been dating the female victim’s 19-year-old daughter, who shares the apartment with her mother and Lomax, authorities said. According to Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney Sue Price Cohen, the 19-year-old had asked Harris to stay overnight in the apartment because of ongoing issues between her and Lomax.

Tensions between Harris and Lomax “had been brewing for some time,” Covelli said.

The mother told authorities she and Lomax left the apartment Tuesday morning and returned to find Harris brandishing two guns as his girlfriend tried to calm him, according to Cohen.

Prosecutors said Harris told police he shot Lomax after he “walked aggressively toward him.”

“When the victim did not immediately fall, he shot him again,” Cohen said.

The female victim heard one or two gunshots, fell to the floor and saw Lomax on the floor near the kitchen, Cohen said.

The woman heard two to three more shots, one of which hit her in her leg, she said.

Harris and the teen then fled the apartment and drove away in a black Chevrolet Blazer belonging to the female victim, authorities said. The young woman reportedly told police she panicked and started driving Harris back to South Holland because “she didn’t know what else to do,” according to Cohen.

The female victim and a witness called 911.

Lomax was pronounced dead Tuesday at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. Preliminary autopsy results indicate he died from multiple gunshot wounds, the Lake County coroner’s office reported Wednesday.

The woman is expected to survive.

Illinois State Police spotted the Blazer on I-94 on Chicago’s Far South Side. They stopped it and arrested Harris and his girlfriend.

The 19-year-old eventually was released without charges.

The handgun police believe was used to shoot the victims was recovered after a search of the Blazer, Covelli said.