McGill on the court of the Milwaukee Bucks’ BMO Harris Bradley Center | Facebook |
UPDATE JULY 17 11:27AM: In response to an inquiry from CWBChicago, UNC spokesperson Kate Luck this morning stated, “We have no record of an applicant or enrollee by the name of Bryce McGill at UNC-Chapel Hill.”
It appears that McGill and his attorney will have some explaining to do when he returns to court on Friday. Our original report follows.
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18-year-old Chatham resident Bryce McGill graduated from Lincoln Park High School on June 11. A standout basketball player, he earned a full ride to the University of North Carolina starting this fall (spoiler alert) his lawyer said.
McGill | Chicago Police Dept |
He won’t be going.
Instead, McGill is now accused of pulling off a series of robberies across Lakeview and Lincoln Park in July. Detectives are still looking to connect him to a sixth case, according to a source.
McGill was arrested outside of Wrigley Field early Friday, about 90 minutes after he and another man battered a 24-year-old woman and stole her phone in the 500 block of West Oakdale, prosecutors said.
Officers saw McGill walking with two backpacks near the Addison Red Line station around 1:20 a.m. and recognized him as a suspect in a previous robbery, according to a source.
McGill graduated from Lincoln Park High School on June 11 | Facebook |
Cops screeched their car to a stop at Addison and Wilton—slamming a parked car in the effort—and gave chase. McGill was tased and taken into custody near the Harry Carey statue at Wrigley Field’s bleacher entrance.
Inside his backpacks, officers later found a phone belonging to the woman who had been mugged earlier that night as well as proceeds taken in other muggings, according to police.
Prosecutors today charged McGill with five felony counts of robbery, one felony count of robbery while indicating the presence of a firearm and one count each of reckless conduct, resisting police, and theft of lost or mislaid property.
Chicago Tribune reporter Will Lee was in bond court today when McGill’s attorney told no-nonsense Judge Peggy Chiampas about the UNC scholarship:
“Young man,” Chiampas said, “that was gold in your hands.”
An “enraged” Chiampas set bail at $150,000 before taking a break to clear her head, Lee Tweeted, later reporting that McGill’s family will have to produce proof of the scholarship in court next week.
Approximate locations of five robberies believed to be connected to McGill. |
In addition to Thursday night’s mugging, McGill is accused of taking part in a rash of robberies across Southeast Lakeview and nearby Lincoln Park since July 5. Among the cases that investigators considered to be connected to the pattern are:
#1) 11:50 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5, near Clark and Arlington
#2) 1:05 a.m. on Thursday, July 6, in the 700 block of West Briar
#3) 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 9, in the 600 block of West Deming
#4) 1:50 a.m. on Sunday, July 9, in the 500 block of West Briar
One of the two offenders in each case was consistently described by victims as being about 6’2” tall and decked out in track suits. The second offender remains at large.