advertisement

Zion men plead not guilty to stealing guns in possible revenge plot against police

Two men charged with stealing guns in a possible plot to retaliate against Zion police for the fatal shooting of a black teenager pleaded not guilty to possession of stolen weapons and burglary, Lake County prosecutors said Wednesday.

Lawrence Taylor and Clarence Williams Jr., both 18 and from Zion, face six to 60 years in prison if convicted of stealing more than 50 guns between 11 p.m. May 31 and 5 a.m. June 1 from 5 Star Firearms on the 41000 block of Sheridan Road in Beach Park, Assistant State's Attorney Rod Drobinski said.

Taylor and Williams are charged with single counts of possession of more than 50 stolen firearms and burglary, Drobinski said. Taylor also is charged with possession of fewer than 10 stolen firearms after the weapons were recovered at his home and vehicle after a search warrant was issued, authorities said.

A 17-year-old juvenile also has been charged in the burglary, but his name remains withheld because of his age, officials said.

Taylor and Williams, who have been identified as members of a street gang in Zion, have told authorities they intended to keep most of the firearms to retaliate against Zion police for the April 4 officer-involved shooting death of Justus Howell, authorities said.

Authorities are still investigating to determine whether the statements were true.

Taylor is being held in Lake County jail on $750,000 bail, while Williams is being held in the county jail on $500,000 bail.

The street value of the stolen guns was about $30,000, officials said.

Authorities said Taylor, Williams and the juvenile went to the gun shop May 31 to steal the weapons. While Taylor and the juvenile served as lookouts, Williams entered the shop and stole firearms from the display cases and off the walls, authorities said.

After leaving the store, the three drove to Taylor's house, authorities said. They returned to the gun shop about five hours later, stole more weapons, then drove away, authorities said.

Each time they entered the store, they were caught on video surveillance, officials said.

Taylor and Williams were given an Aug. 10 trial date. Williams is due in court July 28, and Taylor is due in court July 29.

Howell was shot and killed by veteran officer Eric Hill during a foot chase in Zion. Authorities said Howell was running with a handgun when he turned back to the officers and looked to be pointing the gun. Hill feared for his life and the lives of fellow officers and opened fire, authorities said.

After a lengthy investigation, Lake County State's Attorney Mike Nerheim in May ruled the shooting justified. That led to small protests in front of the Lake County Government Center in Waukegan in the days that followed.

Police: 2 Zion men stole guns to avenge Justus Howell's death

Police searching for 45 stolen guns in Zion revenge plot

Clarence Williams Jr.
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.