Arrest made in shooting that cut short Scoop Waukegan: ‘I was in disbelief it happened … with so many people attending’

A Harvey man was charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm for allegedly shooting a person he knew Saturday evening in a Waukegan parking lot, bringing an early end to the annual Scoop Waukegan car show and festival for thousands of people.

Willie J. White, 36, was charged Tuesday in Waukegan for shooting and wounding the man during a confrontation in the lot near Genesee and Washington streets, authorities said.

Before the shooting, Waukegan Deputy Chief Craig Neal said the two men had a “directed” confrontation. The victim, whose name has not been released, remains hospitalized in stable condition, police said.

Waukegan police investigators, along with Zion police, took White into custody shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday, Neal said in a news release.

Investigators found a firearm at the time of the arrest. White is being held pending his first court appearance in Lake County Court.

Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham said in a news release Tuesday the safety precautions put in place for Scoop Waukegan helped lead to the identification of White and his arrest.

“This quick arrest is the direct result of the proactive safety preparations and state-of-the-art technology deployed at major events, including mobile cameras and drones, which allowed officers to instantly identify track and safely apprehend the suspect,” Cunningham said.

A large presence of Waukegan police officers and firefighters throughout the day on Saturday at Scoop Waukegan provided an instantaneous response when gunfire was heard. The speed likely played a role in quickly treating the victim’s injuries, authorities said.

Waukegan Fire Chief Gregg Paiser said paramedics were nearby when the shot was fired and were able to immediately treat the victim. A police officer, who Neal said is also a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, was part of the rescue.

“Our staff and a police officer who was there were able to act immediately,” Paiser said. “They helped the police officer apply the tourniquet. The officer knew the wound had to be packed, and they applied pressure immediately.”

Ron Celesnik, a Waukegan native who “scooped the loop” as a teenager and is now active in the operation of Scoop Waukegan in its current form, was a block away from the shooting when it occurred. He credited first responders with saving the man’s life.

“The fire department was there in minutes,” he said.

Shortly before the shooting, Cunningham was in the command center located in a trailer on a parking lot near the intersection of Washington and Genesee. Everyone “scrambled” when they heard shots were fired, he said.

“I was in shock,” the mayor said. “I was hoping no one got hurt. I was in disbelief it happened at the event with so many people attending. I was extremely disappointed this happened at a family event.”

Cunningham said he hopes the State’s Attorney’s Office “will take into consideration the person who supplied the weapon to the offender.”

Neal said the police were in communication with the State’s Attorney’s Office Saturday night. Once the police gathered enough evidence to identify White as the alleged shooter and determined there was sufficient facts to charge him, Neal said the information was supplied to the State’s Attorney’s office.

A two-day event, Scoop Waukegan started Friday evening. David Motley, the city’s public relations director said more than 1,200 cars were on display on the 10-block section of downtown Waukegan bounded by Genesee, Clayton, County and Water streets.

On Saturday, more than 1,700 cars were on display in the same area, including century-old vehicles, muscle sports cars, low riders, and a variety of other old and new classics.

The police had to deal with another incident Friday night at Scoop Waukegan when a driver got onto a barricaded County Street, drove on the wrong side of the street, and came close to hitting people and cars before she left the area and was stopped by police near Lake Street and Sheridan Road, Neal said.

The woman, Brittney M. Mack, 38, of Waukegan, was charged with aggravated assault of a peace officer, aggravated driving under the influence, aggravated fleeing to elude police, reckless driving, failure to avoid speed to avoid a crash and improper lane usage, Neal said.

In the shooting, Neal said both charges — attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm — are Class X felonies, which carry a sentence of six to 30 years in prison, if convicted, according to Illinois law. The aggravated charge can increase the sentence to 30 to 60 years.

White also faces six other gun-related charges, Neal said.