DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. – A Chicago woman charged in connection with a deadly shooting outside Oakbrook Center appeared in court Tuesday morning and was ordered detained.
Oak Brook mall shooting
The backstory:
Chance Jamerson, 29, faces three felony counts of attempted armed robbery, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Oak Brook Police Department.
The charges stem from a Sept. 30 shooting in the parking lot outside the L.L. Bean store at Oakbrook Center. Police said 28-year-old Justin Hill of Dolton was killed. A woman was also shot and taken to a hospital.
Additionally, Jamerson, herself, was shot in the stomach and had been in the hospital recovering until her court hearing today.
Shooting details
Timeline:
Investigators allege the shooting stemmed from a plan to rob a group of people who had gathered to purchase limited-edition Swatch watches at the mall.
According to authorities, the driver of a black Mercedes had arranged to go to the mall with Jamerson and two other people to purchase four watches priced at about $448 each, plus tax. The watches were limited to one purchase per person, and the driver allegedly brought $2,000 to buy them.
At about 12:01 p.m., the Mercedes, carrying four occupants including Jamerson in the rear driver’s-side seat, pulled into a parking space. A white Nissan Rogue driven by Hill then allegedly pulled behind the Mercedes and blocked it in.
Hill allegedly got out of the Nissan, approached the rear passenger-side door of the Mercedes, opened it and pointed a gun at the occupants while demanding their belongings.
Authorities allege the Mercedes driver got out and began struggling with Hill for control of the gun. Jamerson then allegedly exited the back seat and joined the struggle.
The driver eventually wrestled the gun away from Hill and fired it, striking both Hill and Jamerson, according to investigators.
After the shooting, the occupants of the Mercedes fled and were later located at the Oakbrook Terrace Police Department. Jamerson allegedly got into the Nissan Hill had been driving and briefly drove around the mall parking lot before authorities took her into custody.
She received medical attention at the scene and was transported to a hospital.
Messages allegedly detailed robbery plan
Dig deeper:
Investigators allege Jamerson had been messaging Hill before the shooting, providing information about the group’s location and vehicle and instructing him to block the car in and take everything, including the occupants’ phones.
At 11:54 a.m., Jamerson allegedly sent Hill a message stating, “Smavk his ass with the pipe n tell me turn the car off.”
At about 12:05 p.m., she allegedly sent two additional messages: “Block car in decent” and “Im help u get everything tho.”
Authorities allege Hill approached the Mercedes with a firearm and announced the robbery after receiving the messages.
During a search of the Mercedes, officers found a Springfield 9 mm pistol, authorities said. Investigators also recovered 9 mm shell casings from the mall parking lot.
Three people from the second vehicle were taken into custody for questioning. Police said they were released without charges.
Why the driver is not being charged
The other side:
Authorities determined that Hill and Jamerson were allegedly committing an armed robbery with a firearm, which is considered a forcible felony under Illinois law.
The driver of the Mercedes is not being charged in the shooting because Illinois law authorizes the use of deadly force to prevent the commission of a forcible felony, according to authorities.
The investigation led officials to conclude that the shooting occurred as the driver attempted to stop the alleged robbery.
What’s next:
A judge ordered Jamerson to remain in custody.
The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office and Oak Brook Police Department held a joint news conference after her court appearance. This story will be updated with new details soon.
The Source: The information in this story came from the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office and Oak Brook Police Department.