Police: Man involved in road rage incident had loaded, accessible guns

A Joliet man with two guns in his vehicle was arrested after officers responded to a report of a road rage incident near Six Corners.

About noon Sept. 8, officers went to the area of Mason Avenue and Mason Court after a report of two drivers involved in a road rage incident, Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English said.

William Zupancic, 47, honked his horn and yelled at a 42-year-old man while both were driving near Six Corners, English said.

“While both vehicles proceeded west on Black Road from Six Corners, Zupancic pulled alongside the victim and threatened to shoot him while reaching into a nearby bag,” English said.

An officer in the area made contact with both vehicles and Zupancic indicated there were firearms in his vehicle, English said.

The officer searched vehicle and found a 9 mm handgun and another handgun, English said.

Zupancic was arrested on probable cause of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated assault. He was taken to the Will County jail.

Prosecutors later charged Zupancic with two charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

The criminal complaint accuses Zupancic of carrying two firearms in a vehicle while he was not on his land, residence or his place of business, and that those weapons were “uncased, loaded and immediately accessible at the time of the offense.”

When asked why Zupancic was not charged with aggravated assault, Will County State’s Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Carole Cheney said the charges were “brought based on the review of the evidence.”

On Sept. 9, Will County Judge Brian Barrett set Zupancic’s bond at $10,000 and ordered him to not possess any firearms, ammunition or dangerous weapons as a condition of his bond.

Barrett also required Zupancic not to drink alcohol or use marijuana, and to submit to drug testing. Zupancic was released from jail Sept. 9 after posting bond.