Zion man charged after Gurnee standoff
A Zion man broke into a Gurnee home early Friday morning and opened fire on the three people inside, then held police at bay for several hours before surrendering, authorities said.
Kendrick Augillard, 34, of the 4200 block of Barberry Lane, was taken into custody more than three hours after he stormed into a home on the 4400 block of Raven Court and used a handgun to shoot at the three individuals, some of whom were children, Gurnee Police Chief Kevin Woodside said. He is being held in Lake County jail on $500,000 bond.
None of the people targeted was hit, and all three escaped without injury and phoned police, Woodside said. Earlier reports indicated there were four people targeted.
A family dog was shot inside the home and was taken to an area animal hospital for treatment, police said.
Augillard was charged with home invasion, residential burglary, aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated cruelty to a companion animal, violation of an order of protection and possession of a weapon with no firearms owners’ identification card.
Police said more charges could be forthcoming.
The standoff began when police received a cellphone call about the shooting at 6:50 a.m. When police arrived at the home, Augillard had barricaded himself inside, Woodside said.
Police said Augillard knows the victims.
Following the police response to the report of an armed gunman in the area, nearby River Trail School and Warren Township High School’s O’Plaine Campus went on lockdown. The Northern Illinois Police Alarm System was called to surround the house.
Robert Foster, 34, of Gurnee, who described himself as a longtime friend of the suspect, said he received several text messages from Augillard just after the shooting began.
Foster said the text messages became “suicidal in nature,” prompting him to drive to the scene to talk his friend out of doing anything rash.
“I feel like I did talk him out of doing anything bad,” Foster said. “I don’t know what set him off.”
The standoff ended at 10:15 a.m., Woodside said, when Augillard gave himself up following a brief negotiation with police.
The school lockdown ended moments later, Woodside added. O’Plaine School canceled classes and sent students home when the lockdown was lifted, he said, while River Trail School students were taken by bus to their school to finish the day.
Gurnee Elementary District 56 Superintendent John Hutton said school officials were notified about the standoff about 6:50 a.m., and no students were in River Trail at the time.
Some 500 students who were riding buses en route to the school were taken to nearby Viking School and housed in the gym.
Some teachers were in River Trail when the building went on lockdown and were forced to remain inside, Hutton said.
About 30 minutes after Augillard gave himself up, members of Gurnee police and the police alarm system were seen walking in and out of the Raven Court house to collect evidence.
Augillard is due in court for a bond hearing this morning.
Ÿ Daily Herald staff writer Christopher Placek contributed to this report.