Teen faces weapons, drug charges

A 17-year-old boy faces weapons and drug charges after a Palatine police investigation into shots fired last week. The boy allegedly damaged village property while in custody, authorities said.

Palatine police said officers arrived in response to a report of a man with a gun and gunfire shortly before 9 p.m. on Sept. 2 on the 600 block of East Independence Drive.

Officers found multiple spent shell casings in the area and found a glass door in the 700 block of East Independence Drive believed to have been damaged by a fired round.

Police said officers identified and spoke with the boy. They then executed a search warrant at a residence connected with the boy.

The search uncovered two loaded 9 mm handguns, ammunition and multiple pills suspected to contain a controlled substance, police said.

The boy now faces charges including aggravated discharge of a firearm, multiple unlawful use of weapons offenses, possession of a controlled substance and criminal damage to state-supported property.

Charges include felony offenses stemming from a separate June 1 police investigation of unlawful possession of a firearm.

The boy was taken to a juvenile detention facility and remains in custody.

szalusky@dailyherald.com