A 49-year-old man who authorities said was “unlawfully” living in a West Pullman residence is facing attempted murder charges for his alleged role in a shootout with Chicago police over the weekend.
Edward Turner shot at three officers responding to a call of shots fired inside a building in the 11500 block of South Wentworth Avenue, where Turner was “unlawfully” staying in a second-floor apartment, Chicago police and Cook County prosecutors said Monday.
The officers returned fire, police said. No one was injured in Saturday morning’s shootout.
Earlier that day, two people living on the first floor called police after they woke up to Turner shooting a bullet through their ceiling and yelling that he was going to kill everyone in the building and burn it down, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.
Police called for backup when they couldn’t get into Turner’s apartment. Turner went on to fire three shots through the door toward the officers standing on the porch, Murphy said. He then stepped out onto the porch allegedly waving his firearm. That’s when an officer shot two rounds in Turner’s direction, but missed as Turner ran back into the building, Murphy said.
A SWAT team came to the scene on the Far South Side and Turner eventually surrendered, police said.
Turner told a SWAT officer that the gun he used was on a table upstairs, that he killed his girlfriend who was also upstairs, and that he poured gasoline in his apartment, Murphy said.
No body was found. But police recovered a .45 caliber chrome firearm and a gas can in Turner’s apartment. They also found .45 caliber casings in the doorway of the first floor and one casing in Turner’s pocket along with a bag of ammunition, Murphy said.
Turner was transported to St. Bernard Hospital, where he continued to undergo a psych evaluation Monday.
One resident who lives on the first floor had previous run-ins with Turner, prosecutors said.
In April, Turner allegedly drilled holes into the ceiling of the first-floor apartment and then poured an “unknown substance” into the holes, Murphy said. Three days later, Turner tried kicking in the person’s front door and fired into the door after calling police, telling officers he had been locked out of the apartment, where he had been staying without permission from the owner, Murphy said.
In addition to attempted murder, Turner is facing aggravated discharge of a firearm, assault and gun charges, police said.
Judge Susana L. Ortiz called Turner a “danger to the community” and ordered him held in lieu of $2 million bail.
Turner’s case is expected back in court Sept. 21.
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