Man charged with firing shots in Evanston

A man was arrested Monday and charged with firing a gun in February in north suburban Evanston.

At 4:37 p.m., detectives were in an alley in the 7200 block of North Hamlin Avenue when they spotted Michael E. Johnson, who tried to run away, according to Evanston police.

He was apprehended in the rear of a yard in the 7200 block of North Hamilton, police said. He had a loaded Smith and Wesson .40-caliber handgun with an extended magazine in his right pants leg.

Johnson had an active arrest warrant for a shots fired incident on Feb. 17 in the 1600 block of Foster Street, police said. No one was struck by the gunfire, but two nearby homes were hit.

Johnson, an Evanston resident, was charged with one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition without a FOID card, police said. He was also charged with one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm at a person for the February incident.

On Wednesday, Johnson’s bond was set at $175,000, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office. He was later released on bond.

He was scheduled to appear in court again on July 25.