Accidental shooting leads to weapons charge; youth sell stolen merchandise
By Dee Longfellow
For The Elmhurst Independent
According to a release issued by Elmhurst Police Chief Michael Ruth, an Elmhurst shop owner was duped into purchasing his own stolen merchandise which had been lifted by six kids previously the same day.
The release said the six young people entered the Gaming Goat at 152 N. York Road on Sunday, Feb. 12, and reportedly sold several valuable Pokémon cards to a person working at the store. The victim later recognized the cards, noting they had been displayed in the store’s window earlier that same day. Apparently, the cards had been stolen and were then sold back to the store later.
The incident remains under investigation, the release said. It did not indicate that any arrests had been made.
Young man who shot self faces weapons charge
Police Chief Ruth reported in another release that a young man who accidentally shot himself in the leg has reportedly been arrested on a weapons charge.
While visiting friends in Elmhurst on the evening of Sunday, Feb. 12, 18-year-old Michael J. Smith was reportedly sitting in his car holding a gun that discharged and shot him in the thigh. The incident took place on the 200 block of Clinton Avenue at about 10 p.m., Ruth said.
Smith was taken to Gottleib Hospital in Melrose Park, where he was treated for the gunshot wound. When police recovered the gun, it was found to be stolen out of Hillside, possibly during a residential burglary, the communiqué said. After his release from the hospital, Smith was charged with unlawful use of a weapon and failure to have a valid Firearm Owners Identification Card (FOID).
