Two men have been charged in connection with a shoot-out near Grant Park and a subsequent high-speed chase through the Loop on Tuesday morning.
Prosecutors said surveillance video shows one of the men handing off a baby he was carrying so he could return gunfire during the incident, which unfolded at 11:19 a.m. outside the Congress Hotel, 520 South Michigan.
Davarius Minor, 21, Daquan Dunn, 20, and two friends were staying at the hotel when they walked out the front door to get into a car, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said during a bond court hearing Wednesday.
As they approached their vehicle, Minor recognized a man at the intersection of Michigan and Harrison who pulled a gun on him the night before, according to Murphy. As he recognized the other man, the stranger pulled out a gun and fired two shots toward Minor and Dunn.
Minor handed a baby to another member of his group, pulled out his own gun, and fired nine rounds back, Murphy said. No one was struck by the gunfire, and the other man fled from the scene.
Meanwhile, Dunn, Minor, and their party sped from the hotel as police arrived on-scene, according to Murphy. Dunn drove at speeds exceeding 80 mph, ran red lights, and traveled into oncoming traffic through the Loop as police pursued them, Murphy continued.
Their car crashed on the 600 block of West Roosevelt, causing a four-car pile-up. Dunn, Minor, and their two friends ran from the scene, but police rounded them up. Police found a loaded 40-caliber handgun on the car’s front passenger floorboard near where Minor sat, Murphy said.
Investigators found eight 40-caliber shell casings near the shooting scene along with two casings from a 45-caliber weapon. The shoot-out was captured on surveillance video, Murphy said. He added that Minor admitted to carrying the firearm for protection, and Dunn admitted to knowing that police were following him as he drove through the Loop.
The state dropped aggravated discharge of firearm charges against Minor during bond proceedings because prosecutors determined that he acted in self-defense against the unknown gunman, Murphy told Judge Mary Marubio.
Neither Dunn nor Minor have adult records.
Prosecutors charged Minor with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. Dunn is charged with aggravated fleeing, leaving the scene of an accident involving injury, reckless driving, and traffic violations.
Marubio set bail at $200,000 for each man. They are each required to go onto electronic monitoring if they can post individual $20,000 deposit bonds to get out of jail, Marubio said.