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Teen charged in Streator shooting to stand trial Aug. 11

17-year-old faces up to 30 years if convicted of Class X felony

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A teenager charged in the Arthur Street shooting in Streator will stand trial Aug. 11.

The youth, 17, of Streator appeared Wednesday in La Salle County Circuit Court and pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated battery with a firearm, a Class X felony carrying six to 30 years in prison with no possibility of probation.

La Salle County Circuit Judge Michelle A. Vescogni approved the suspect’s request for a public defender and ordered him to return July 30 for a final pretrial conference.

The shooting occurred April 30 at a residence in the 1100 block of Arthur Street, Streator. The suspect was arrested several blocks away after a foot chase and then was taken to the La Salle County Detention Home, where juveniles are held.

However, juveniles can be transferred to adult court for serious felony offenses, such as murder. Aggravated battery with a firearm is an offense that is automatically transferrable.

According to court filings, “an altercation” ensued between Walker and the 16-year-old victim, identified in court records only by his initials. The victim “turned to observe [the gunman] coming at him with a handgun in his hand,” and the gunman then “struck him in the head with the gun,” according to court documents.

The suspect then is alleged to have fired the handgun, striking the 16-year-old in the abdomen. Streator police were summoned, and they arrested the suspect while he was running along BNSF railroad tracks.

Tom Collins

Tom Collins

Tom Collins covers criminal justice in La Salle County.