Trilogy’s liquor license suspended following Sunday’s fatal shooting

In light of Sunday’s fatal shooting in front of Trilogy Night Club and Lounge in St. Charles that left one person dead and injured three others, St. Charles Mayor Lora Vitek on Monday announced that she has suspended its liquor license.

In addition, Vitek called for the owners of Trilogy to appear before an emergency hearing of the city’s Liquor Control Commission at 8 a.m. Wednesday to determine if further actions are warranted.

“All other operations of the business that do not involve the sale, giving or delivery of alcoholic liquor are not affected,” the notice states.

According to the notice, Trilogy committed one or more of the following offenses: allowing a patron to exit the nightclub with an open alcoholic beverage; selling or giving alcohol during a time it was prohibited; offering to give away free alcoholic beverages and operating in an unsafe manner to the detriment of the health and safety of the city.

Information on how to watch Wednesday’s hearing remotely is posted on the city’s website, stcharlesil.gov.

“Please know that the Trilogy applicants were vetted following the same established process we utilize for every liquor license applicant,” Vitek said as part of a statement posted on the city’s website. “We performed comprehensive background checks, met with both the owner and partner, and they stood before the Liquor Control Commission and the City Council. We also can say that there were no prior incidents that could have served as a warning to the events that eventually unfolded.”

Vitek also read the statement to aldermen at the St. Charles City Council’s Government Services Committee meeting on Monday.

Michael D.V. Carwell, 22, of the 1900 block of Bayview Lane, Aurora, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, three felony counts of attempted murder and three felony counts of aggravate battery. He is in custody in the Kane County Jail on a $3 million bond, with 10 percent ($300,000) to apply for bail.

According to a news release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, at about 2 a.m. Sunday, Carwell approached 23-year-old Khalief McCallister, of Aurora, and the second victim in the parking lot in front of Trilogy Nightclub, 2051 Lincoln Highway, St. Charles.

The pair had just left the establishment, the news release stated. Carwell fired multiple shots from a 9mm handgun, killing McCallister and injuring three others, according to the release.

After being identified as a suspect, Carwell was taken into custody later on Sunday. Each of the surviving victims underwent emergency surgery; one is in stable condition while the other victim is listed in critical condition, according to police.

A fourth gunshot victim was driven to Copley Memorial Hospital in Aurora. That victim was treated and released.

Carwell’s next court appearance is set for 10 a.m. July 16 in Courtroom 313 at the Kane County Judicial Center, via remote access.

The owners of Trilogy on Monday reacted to the shooting in a message on its Facebook page.

“The Trilogy family is deeply saddened by the events of early Sunday morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims,” the message said. “We will continue to cooperate with the St. Charles Police Department as this is still under investigation.”

McAllister was one of two men charged with attempted first degree murder in a 2017 shooting in DeKalb that injured a 28-year-old woman. According to DeKalb Police, McAllister, who had previously lived in DeKalb, and another man allegedly fired several shots into an occupied vehicle in the 800 block of North Annie Glidden Road.

A 28-year-old woman sustained a gunshot wound to her leg while in the vehicle. His trial was set to start in October.

St. Charles Police Chief James Keegan said at this point, he cannot say the shooting was gang related.

“There’s a lot more investigative work to be done,” he said. “I think some of that will probably come out as we put our case forward as far as our prosecution of this.”

The department moved quickly to make an arrest in the case.

“Our officers and detectives and forensic people worked around the clock to bring this case to a successful resolution,” Keegan said. “We work really hard on bringing those responsible to justice and we’re going to continue to do that.”

He called Sunday’s incident “tragic on all accounts.”