Waukegan man pleads guilty in Fox Lake tavern shooting
A Waukegan man accused of shooting a bouncer at a Fox Lake tavern pleaded guilty to aggravated battery with a firearm, authorities said.
Keith Lee Jr., 23, faces up to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to the felony charge Aug. 26, Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Dan Kleinhubert said.
Had Lee been found guilty at trial, he could have been sentenced up to 30 years in prison. Kleinhubert said Lee's maximum prison sentence was capped at 17 years in exchange for the guilty plea.
Additional charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon were dropped in exchange for the plea, Kleinhubert said.
Lee has remained in Lake County jail on $750,000 bail since his arrest after the shooting at Pug Mahones Irish Pub & Grill in the 200 block of East Grand Avenue at 2:45 a.m. Feb. 28, 2015.
Authorities said tavern bouncers escorted Lee and his friends outside after they were involved in a brawl inside the facility. During the commotion, one of Lee's friends was pushed down a flight of stairs and hit his head on a vehicle bumper, authorities said.
Lee pulled out a handgun and fired two rounds at the bouncers, according to authorities. One bullet struck bouncer Tim Reid in the right shoulder, authorities said.
Lee jumped into the passenger side of a vehicle and fired two more shots through an open window at the bar as the car drove away, authorities said.
Reid was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where he was treated and released. The person who was pushed down the stairs was treated at Centegra Hospital in McHenry, authorities said.
The vehicle carrying Lee was stopped by police after a person who witnessed the shooting tailed them through Fox Lake, authorities said.
Lee is due back in court for sentencing Oct. 20.