A 35-year-old man from Illinois shot two teens he suspected of stealing his vehicle. The Lake County Sheriff's Office said that the man located his car early in the morning on January 3 after reporting it missing on December 30.
The man, who was not identified because he has not been charged with a crime, started to chase after his black Chevrolet sedan. After about a mile, the sedan ran out of gas, forcing two 17-year-old males to exit the vehicle. They were confronted by the car's owner and got into a physical altercation.
During the struggle, somebody pulled out a gun, and the two teens were shot. When police arrived, they found one of the teens deceased in a parking lot, and the other was rushed to the hospital in serious condition. The older man "sustained minor non-gunshot wounds" but refused treatment.
Investigators are trying to determine who pulled out the gun and whether or not it was legally registered in the state.
"Sheriff's detectives are working to determine this as well ...," Sgt. Chris Covelli told the Chicago Tribune in an email. "One would need a FOID card and possibly a CCL to legally possess the firearm. I can't say at this time whether or not anyone involved possessed those."
Officials are treating the case as a homicide investigation and did not rule out bringing charges against the shooter. Covelli told the Tribune that it is too early to determine if the shooting was a case of self-defense.
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