Elgin teen faces attempted murder charge in December shooting
A 17-year-old from Elgin is being charged as an adult with attempted murder in the shooting of a teen girl in Elgin in early December 2019.
Erik R. Lopez, of 1800 block of Mark Avenue, faces charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm in connection with the Dec. 3 shooting in which a girl, 14, was hit in the back, according to Kane County court records.
At the time of the shooting, police said two juveniles were arrested and charged in the case in which the girl, a passenger in a moving vehicle near the intersection of Highland Avenue and State Street, was injured.
Police said the girl was not the intended target and her injuries were serious, but she was expected to fully recover.
Lopez was 16 at the time of the shooting and turned 17 several days later; information about the other juvenile charged in the case was not immediately available.
Elgin police spokeswoman Kristie Hilton declined further comment, saying the case is still under investigation.
Citing juvenile confidentiality laws, Elgin issued a full denial this week of a Daily Herald Freedom of Information Act request seeking more information about Lopez's arrest and the shooting.
Lopez is being held at the Kane County Juvenile Justice Center on $500,000 bail, meaning he must post $50,000 to be released while the case is pending.
If he does post bail, Lopez is to have no contact with the victim, according to court records.
Lopez is next due in court on Jan. 31. If convicted of attempted murder, he faces a sentence ranging from six to 30 years in prison.
Kane County prosecutors also have indicated in court records they will seek to prove that Lopez personally discharged a firearm in the offense, which if a judge or jury agrees, will add 20 years to any sentence.