DeKalb man charged in shooting incident in Hillcrest parking lot

DeKALB - A DeKalb man is facing charges after police say he shot at three people in the parking lot of the Hillcrest Shopping Plaza and was struck by a vehicle driven by one of the victims.

Kewon T. Brown, 27, of the 1000 block of West Hillcrest Drive in DeKalb, is charged with aggravated assault, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated discharge of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony, he could face up to 15 years in prison and fines up to $25,000.

Brown was arrested by DeKalb police June 5 on the charges in connection to the incident which allegedly occurred May 26, according to DeKalb County court records.

He appeared before DeKalb County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Pederson Saturday for a virtual bond hearing. Pederson set Brown’s bond at $25,000. Brown would need to post $2,500 to get out of jail.

According to DeKalb County court records, around 10 a.m. on May 26, DeKalb police responded to reports of a shooting which allegedly had occurred earlier that day in the parking lot of the Hillcrest Shopping Plaza at 1023 W. Hillcrest Drive.

DeKalb police detectives reviewed surveillance footage from surrounding businesses in the area. According to police reports, the video reportedly shows a man, later identified as Brown, firing a gun at three people. The bullet reportedly which went through the passenger side window of a car and struck the car’s radio.

Police reports don’t specify what type of gun was used in the incident. Investigators interviewed three victims, two men and a woman.

The men told police a man, later identified as Brown, was involved in a verbal argument with the two of them and approached them in threatening manner. The woman then entered the parking lot in her vehicle and told police she allegedly saw a man, later identified as Brown, approaching the two men while holding a gun.

The woman told police she intentionally struck the man later identified as Brown with her car, and continued driving past him, according to reports. The victims told police Brown allegedly roll off the car after being struck and landed on his feet, then allegedly fired his gun through the woman’s passenger side window.

Police reported the passenger side window was shattered and the radio appeared to have been struck by a bullet, which was later uncovered by police on the center console of the car.

During the investigation, DeKalb police also learned Brown’s FOID card had been revoked, and arrested him on Saturday.

According to police reports, Brown told police he saw his friends in an argument with “unknown subjects” in the Hillcrest parking lot and said during the argument he was struck by a car. When asked by police if and why Brown allegedly fired a gun at the car, Brown told detectives to “refer to the surveillance video,” reports state.

Brown is next set to appear for a bond reduction hearing on his charges June 10 at 2:30 p.m. virtually from the DeKalb County Jail.