Nov. 16--A judge denied bail Saturday for a 31-year-old Chicago man who was charged with multiple counts of attempted murder and kidnapping, accused of shooting a woman and her male cousin in the parking lot of the Harlem-Irving Plaza mall in Norridge after allegedly taking the woman's two children without her permission.
Everett D. Harris, of the 1100 block of North Keeler Avenue, was denied bail during an afternoon hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.
Harris was charged with three counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery on a public way and two counts of aggravated kidnapping, according to a statement from the Norridge Police Department.
Harris is also being charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and aggravated driving with a revoked license.
Harris, who is the woman's former boyfriend, allegedly kidnapped the children, a boy and girl who are 6 and 4, Thursday morning in Chicago, authorities said. Harris then offered to return the children in the parking lot of the Harlem-Irving Plaza mall around 1 p.m., but instead of doing that he fired shots, police said.
The woman, 29, was shot four times, in the head, the wrist and the shoulder, and her cousin, 36, was hit in the groin. Both were taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where their conditions stabilized, Norridge police said.
Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Shawn Abraham said Saturday that while the woman was expected to survive, she was being monitored for possible bleeding in the brain. Her cousin, who was injured in the abdomen, may face permanent injury to his reproductive organs, Abraham said.
Abraham said the gunman was not the father of the children.
The woman's two children, who were present during the shooting, were not harmed.
"I'd like to commend mall security, along with the witnesses that provided valuable information to both dispatch and our officers on scene," Norridge police Chief Jim Jobe said. "While incidents such as this are not a common theme in our town, I want to assure the residents and visitors of Norridge that our officers and paramedics are properly trained to respond, protect and maintain the peace in this town."
