Defendant in fatal Mundelein shooting to remain in jail

The 21-year-old man charged with Monday’s shooting death of a Mundelein man and the wounding of his girlfriend will remain incarcerated while his case is pending.

During a hearing Thursday, Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim ordered the detention of Deandre Y. Harris, of South Holland.

Harris is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Herbert Lomax, 48, and aggravated battery with a firearm in the wounding of Lomax’s 47-year-old girlfriend, whose name has not been released.

The shooting took place about 11:40 a.m. Monday in the apartment Lomax shared with his girlfriend and the girlfriend’s 19-year-old daughter, who was dating Harris.

Arguing for pretrial detention, assistant Lake County state’s attorney Jeffrey Facklam said Harris’ behavior evidenced the danger he poses to the community, adding “he initiated an argument to deadly violence and deadly use of force in a short window of time.”

Assistant Lake County public defender Audrey Koeberlein argued against pretrial detention, stating her client — a college student who works two jobs and has no criminal background — acted in self-defense.

Harris’ girlfriend told him “the deceased had engaged in potentially predatory behavior,” according to Koeberlein. “She was constantly asking him (Harris) to stay there at night.”

Requesting a mental health evaluation for her client, Koeberlein noted, “I already see the effects of trauma.”

At an earlier hearing, authorities cited “ongoing issues” between Lomax and the 19-year-old. Facklam told the court an incident that occurred a day earlier between Lomax and Harris’ girlfriend prompted her to ask Harris to spend the night at the apartment.

“The two witnesses and this defendant admit he confronted the deceased victim about this issue and that shows he initiated the argument,” Facklam said.

The mother told authorities she and Lomax left the apartment Monday morning to run errands. They returned to find her daughter attempting to calm down Harris, who pointed a gun at Lomax, according to prosecutors.

The mother said she heard several shots and fell to the floor where she saw Lomax, prosecutors said. The mother recalled hearing several more shots, one of which struck her in the leg, before her daughter and Harris left the apartment. Police recovered five casings from the scene.

The 19-year-old told police a similar story, which prosecutors recounted during Harris’ first court appearance on Wednesday. According to them, the young woman said when Lomax and her mother returned to the apartment “the defendant confronted her mother’s boyfriend about an issue between her and the victim. They began arguing when the defendant pulled out a gun.”

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

After the shooting, Harris and the 19-year-old fled in her mother’s black Chevrolet Blazer, according to police. Illinois State Police later arrested Harris and the young woman, who was released. According to Koeberlein, Harris has a FOID card and informed arresting officers he had a firearm in the vehicle.

Police recovered a firearm and what appeared to be a BB gun, Facklam said.

Preliminary autopsy reports indicate Lomax died from multiple gunshot wounds. The mother is expected to survive.

Harris next appears in court on Aug. 6.