#21: Man's accused of shooting up another car in traffic — while on bond for gun case

A Northwest Side man shot up another car in traffic while on bail for a pending gun case, prosecutors said Wednesday. Tyreke Howard, 23, is the 21st person to be accused of killing, shooting, or trying to shoot someone in Chicago this year while on bond for another felony, according to records maintained by CWBChicago.

Police and prosecutors said the latest incident began around 2:30 p.m. on May 30 at a BP service station in Portage Park.

Howard walked up to a car at the gas station, knocked on the car’s window, opened the driver’s side door, and threatened the driver while holding his hand under his shirt as if he had a gun, Assistant State’s Attorney Darryl Auguste said. Howard

Meanwhile, the car’s passenger, who stepped inside the gas station, saw what was happening and returned to the vehicle, Auguste said. The car then drove away.

Howard allegedly climbed into a black Chevy Traverse and followed after the victims’ car. As they reached the 4800 block of North Laramie, Howard extended a gun out of his car window and began firing at the victims’ car, striking its window, hood, and rear quarter panel, Auguste said. The occupants of the car were not injured.

Police arrested Howard near his home Tuesday afternoon. He is charged with two counts of reckless discharge of a firearm and two counts of aggravated assault by discharging a firearm.

“This is extremely troubling to this court,” Judge John Lyke said of the allegations. “Bullets don’t have any eyes, and they can hit innocent people.”

Lyke set his bail at $100,000. Howard will need to post $10,000 and go on electronic monitoring to get out of jail in the new case. But Lyke also ordered him held without bail for violating the terms of bond in a pending gun case.

On April 5, police found Howard sleeping behind the wheel of a car near his home with a handgun on the passenger seat, prosecutors said during a bond court appearance the next day. The gun was not loaded, but police did find ammunition in a plastic bag, according to the allegations.

He was charged with felony aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and misdemeanor charges of possessing ammunition and possessing a firearm without a Firearm Owner’s ID card in that case. Judge Charles Beach set his bail at $5,000 and Howard went home by posting a $500 deposit.

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#21: Man’s accused of shooting up another car in traffic — while on bond for gun case

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